Story Of Lover Boy
by Dell-Indilwen
Summary: Hi everyone! My name is Peeta Mellark, I'm 16 years old and this is a story, how I was chosen into 74th Hunger Games and how it changed my life...
1. Reaping Day

**Hi guys! My new fanfiction is Hunger Games from Peeta's POV. I hope you will like it. I'm not entirely sure this will be good, so please review to let me know if it is worth continuing. Thanks a lot for reading :) **

* * *

Chapter 1 – Reaping Day

It's warm summer morning in the end of June. Today I'm free from my work in bakery so I'm sitting under an apple tree in our backyard and drawing. In a normal world, children and teenagers would be happy that the summer holidays are coming. Not here. We're not living in a normal world. In our world the end of school before summer means fear. Fear that you have a chance to be reaped as a tribute for Hunger Games. If they pull out your name, you have to go into an arena and fight for your life with another 23 tributes. Only one can be the victor. There is a lot of kids between 12 and 18 here, so there is only a slight chance they will pull out my name, but it is still there. Some kids have to sign their names more times to get some extra food for their families. I'm lucky I don't have to do this. I have two older brothers Rye and Bannock. Bannock is the eldest. He is 19, so he's out of the Hunger Games. He's a lot like my mother, cold and calculating, almost never sharing his feelings or worries. Ray is year and a half older than me. And he's exact opposite of Bannock. He's friendly, funny, popular between friends and he likes girls a lot (and they like him). He sneaks cupcakes for them, but I don't like how often he changes girls. He has his bad habits though. One of the worst is how he likes to share his experiences with me. He speaks about everything. Including his time with girls. I spent many morning shifts with him, listening how he slept with that girl yesterday or how the other one kisses so good. So in the end I have a very good knowledge about which girl in our district is a good kisser and which one is not. But even though I like Ray much more then Ban. I am 16 years old now. I'm quite talkative too (we inherited that from our dad I guess), but I don't share such a deep things as Ray with everyone. I like frosting the cakes most in the bakery. I'm kind of an artist, I like drawing and sketching. I don't have as many girls as Ray (even though I think that I could if I wanted to). In fact I love just one girl. That's all about me for now. And if you're wondering, yes, we're named after bread types, my parents have a good sense of humor. My family runs a bakery and we're one of the wealthier families in 12. Even though we usually can't eat most of the things we bake. Only the left overs. But that is still better than starving. Most families from Seam would happily live a week from our leftovers from one day. One stale bread would be enough to feed one Seam family for a day or more. This thought leads my mind to her.

You ask me who is she? Well definitely the best and most beautiful girl in this world. I met her first when I was just five years old. My father pointed her out during our first school day. Then she sang in music assembly and her voice was so beautiful and close to angel, that it was like she was casting a magic on me and I had a crush on her since then. She's a girl from poor Seam family. She has a little sister Prim and kind parents. Her father was a hunter and used to trade squirrels with my father. I used to see him coming almost every morning with game to trade for bread. One day when I was seven years old and I started to help in the bakery, he came and she was with him. For the first time hunting. Since then she came with him every morning. After a several months one day they knocked on the door and it was not her father who traded this time. He was standing behind her and she clutched a dead squirrel in her hand. Proud of her first clear shot squirrel, trading it with my father. He gave them two loaves of bread that day. She looked so proud of her job it made me smile. I used to spy on her at school or whenever I met her. She used to be happy, smiling and she liked to sing a lot. I loved to listen to her singing. Even when it was in secret. During all those years, I got used to sketch a lot and I learned how to draw. I liked it very much, it was something which calmed me down always. I used to do it at home, in my free time or at school, when I was bored. She was my subject very often. I used to study her features during classes, the looks in her eyes, her smile. When I liked her appearance in some moment, I kept it in my mind and drew it later. Thanks to her, I created this habit of sitting on roof of the bakery and watching the district. Even when I didn't have the morning shift, I used to wake up early. Before dawn often. And so I climbed out of my window and sat on our roof. I could see all the town center, school, meadow and Seam too. And one morning, I saw her. Coming out of her house in the seam and quietly going to the fence. She stopped for a moment in front of the fence, probably to assure there's no electricity, and then she climbed out through it. And since that time, I climbed out on the roof every free morning and I watched her going to the forest. Even though I have never talked to her, I knew her very well thanks to all of this stalking. I knew that the one thing she loved on this world was her family, especially her little sister Prim. She seemed happy and content. But that was about to change soon.

It was a cold January day, we were 11 and we were just at school, having our history class. I was just drawing her, when a loud ring made us all jump. It was not an ordinary school bell. No this was much worse. It was an alarm bell which usually announces accident in the mines. Katniss was the first one to jump up and run out of the class. I run after her, but the only thing I could see was how she took Prim's hand and they run away with scared faces. It's not usual for town kids to care about this very much, but I did went to the mines to see it. To see if her dad is involved in this accident. I secretly peeked at the place. It seemed that there was an explosion. I came there just to see Katniss and Prim to come to their mum, sitting on the ground and crying. Prim started to cry uncontrollably and Katniss was just staring at them in shock for a while. Then she hugged them both and I saw how silent tears traced down her cheeks. My heart ached when I saw her like that. I wanted to hug her, to comfort her, to help her somehow, but instead I run off. Coward!

A week later, there was a ceremony for the families of the dead miners and we were supposed to supply some pastries in there. My dad was going to get it there and I volunteered to help him. It was terribly tragic. There were so many Seam kids without fathers and I wondered who would take care about them... Who would feed them? We were just witnessing their grief with my dad. I felt so hopeless. I wanted to help her somehow. But even after all that terrible things, she was so brave for an eleven year old girl. As the oldest child she was the one who came up for the medal they got to remember their father. There were no tears on her face and she was looking so calm. If my dad would die like that I would cry like a little kid.

But since then, they were getting only worse. As they had no father to earn money or get food, they were getting thinner every month. Both Katniss and Prim. The happiness had gone away from their faces and Katniss was not singing any more. Never. She always wore a cold mask on her face, not willing to show her true feelings to anyone, but I could see them in her eyes. I don't know how they got through the winter, but in the end, they were on the edge of starving. I was already making a plan how to sneak out bread for her, when that day came. That day when we finally met alone.

I was helping my mother in the bakery. She went out with some garbage and I heard her screaming at someone. I was wondering what happened so I looked out. And I saw her... Katniss was just running further away from my mother, while she was screaming something about Seam brats. When my mum came back in through the window I saw that Katniss is still there. In a heap under our apple tree, probably too weak to move. I don't know why I did it, but I just did when it came to my mind. When I was getting two loaves of bread out of the oven, I slipped them down into the flames. On purpose. Just for a second so it would not be absolutely damaged. It was enough for my mother though. She hit me with a big steering spoon, right into my face. My vision got black for a moment and I had to hold onto a table so I would not fall down. It hurt but I guess it's worth it if it saves Katniss and her family. She told me to give the bread to pigs.

So I went out. Immediately I felt her eyes on me. I went down the porch towards the pigs, pretending to feed them. I tore a few burned chunks and threw them into the pig pen. Then I carefully peered back if my mother isn't looking. Then I tossed the bread towards Katniss. She gave me a long unbelieving look and I turned around and went back towards the house. When I looked back on porch I saw her standing up, holding the bread and running away. Next day at school, I could see that she's much better. And Prim is too. They looked more normal and Prim was even laughing. When I watched Katniss how she waited for Prim in front of the school, she looked at me unexpectedly. I looked down immediately and I felt a blush coming to my face. Damn me! Why do I always do that when she looks at me? When I dared to look at her again, she was picking a dandelion. Then her face lit up with a warm smile, which I haven't seen for so long. When Prim arrived seconds later, she said something happily to her and they both run off laughing, holding their hands. I don't know why she smiled or what were they doing, but I felt better for her. Since then, they looked better and occasionally you could see a smile on Katniss's face too.

Two months later, I was surprised one morning. I had the morning shift in the bakery with my dad, it was Saturday and around seven someone knocked on the door. It is not usual for people to come to us by the back door. When dad opened them, to my shock she was standing there. She had her usual mask on her face, but her eyes betrayed her. She was scared. But even though she had enough courage to pull out a dead squirrel, look at my dad and suggest a trade to him. He was obviously shocked that an eleven year old came to trade dead squirrels with him. For a while he looked at her in awe. Then he smiled at her and accepted her offer. He gave her a big loaf of bread in exchange for the squirrel. For a slight moment, I saw a thankful smile on her face.

And that's how she started to live. Or more survive and keep her family alive. She came almost every morning, even before school. After some time I saw her going to Hob too, which scared me because it's not a safe place for a young girl. After even more time, she started to appear with a boy. He's two years older than we are, he's tall, strong and handsome and he is her best friend and hunting partner. I hope they are not more. Well now we're sixteen and during all that time of watching her, drawing her and wishing for her to be my friend, I have never had enough courage to talk to her. I'm tragic. I know that.  
Usually I don't have any problems with speaking to people. Only Katniss makes my mouth dry and my knees tremble. Sometimes I see her eyes soft, while she's daydreaming at school and in that moment I would like to know what world is she in. But other times when she is angry, her eyes could kill. I must admit I'm a little afraid of her. She's intimidating for most of the boys at school. I have no problems to chat and joke with other girls, I have no problems to speak in front of many people, but when she looks at me, my face does that stupid blush thing and I have to look down. I don't know why, I just have to. I was trying so many times. So many times I have decided to talk to her, even walked towards her, but in the last moment I changed direction and went away. I'm pathetic I know. I guess I need something to kick me together with her so I would break the barrier between us.

In my head I quietly count, how many times her name will be in the glass ball today. She signed for food supplies every year, so in the end… Twenty. That's the final number. Shivers go down my back when I think about her being reaped. That would be the worst thing ever. My father's voice almost makes me jump.

"What are you doing here so early?" he asks quietly.

"Can't sleep." He sits next to me.

"You'll be fine. As every year." he says comfortably and puts his arm around me. Well it's not exactly me I'm concerned about. I look down at my drawing to hide my sadness.

"Ahh I see." dad says when he looks at my drawing of her. For a while he's silent. He has seen my drawings before. Actually he's the only one in our family who knows the truth about my feelings to her.

"How many times is her name in there?" he asks barely audible.

"Twenty" I whisper and there is desperation in my voice. The worst thing is that I can't protect her from this. I have no power in this. I can't even volunteer for her if she's reaped. My dad sights and pets me on my back.

"Let's hope the odds will be in her favor too." he says sadly. "You can't do anything about it anyway. You can just wait and see what happens." he stands up and goes back to the bakery. I know he's right, but that is the worst thing on reaping day. Waiting until 2 p.m.

Finally I walk slowly to the square with Rye. He's 17 and has his name in the ball 6 times. I have 5. But Katniss still have almost twice more than we both together. When I'm in an area made for 16 years, I look for her secretly. After few minutes I find her in the crowd. She is beautiful. She has a sky blue dress and her hair is braided into elegant knot. She just looks so beautiful. I snap out of my thoughts when the clock starts to ring and announce 2 p.m. We hear the usual speech from the major and excited speech from Effie Trinket. I hate her. Everyone here does. Because she's the one reaping us and she makes fun of it.

"Ladies first" she exclaims and sinks her hand into the ball with girls names.

_"Please don't be Katniss. Please don't be Katniss"_ I repeat in my head constantly like it would help something. Effie comes back to the microphone, opens the little paper and after a terrible second of dead silence she reads.

"Primrose Everdeen!"  
_"Thank God it's not Katniss."_ I hear in my head first. But then... _"Wait! What?! Primrose Everdeen?! Prim!"_ That is almost as terrible as Katniss. This is her first year and she gets reaped? No that can't be happening. Not sweet little Prim. Then I hear her scream in painful voice.

"Prim! Prim!" I see her running towards her little sister and standing in front of her protectively. And in the last second I'm scared to death because I know what is she going to do.

"I volunteer! I volunteer as a tribute!" she cries in a desperate voice.

In that moment Prim starts to scream she locks her arms around Katniss and rejects to let her go. But then Gale comes, scoops her up and drags her away, back to her mother. But she's still kicking and screaming. It is so tragic, that it almost makes me cry. When he takes her he whispers something to Katniss. She goes up the stage, her face again controlled in emotionless mask. But again her eyes betray her. I see that fear in there. When Effie asks for applause no one does so. Everyone is deadly silent. Instead they press three fingers to their lips and give her a quiet salute. It is a powerful sign of unity and grief for someone. Katniss seems surprised, but I'm not. Everyone knows her here, many people trade with her and most of the people like her and some even admire her.

Right now, I lost all my hope and I feel like my life starts to fall apart. I'm losing her. She was not reaped, but I'm still losing her. I have neither spoke to her nor tell her about my feelings for her and I'm losing her. I have only one chance to tell her. I have to come and say goodbye to her. I'm starting to plan it when Effie Trinket's voice jerks me again.

"And now for the boys." she says all enthusiastic. Is it possible that I forgot that a boy has to be reaped too? I'm too busy with thoughts about Katniss and I realize the world around me only when she reads the name.

"Peeta Mellark." _Was that my name? Is this really happening? Am I going to hunger games with Katniss?_ No, my life has fallen apart just in one second. When I look at the "bright" side, I guess I will have more opportunities to talk to her after all.

In the moment she reads my name I'm still looking at Katniss so I realize her reaction. For a quick moment her expression changes into terrified. But then she's back in her emotionless way. All eyes are on me now and people around me take a step back like I have some terrible disease. Slowly I walk towards the stage, when I realize that Katniss is staring at me. With fear and pity in her eyes. I got on the stage and I don't even know what is happening I'm just feeling numb. Like I'm witnessing to life of someone else.

"Come on you two, shake hands." Effie says and I turn to face Katniss.

For the first time in my life I have the strength to look directly into her eyes. They are beautifully grey. But now full of fear and desperation. I take her bony hand and give it a firm shake. Even though in my mind I would like to hug her now and tell her that I'm gonna protect her. For some reason her eyes seems terrified now as she looks into mine. I would like to know why. In another moment she looks down and lets go of my hand.

I'm sitting in a luxury room. My hands are shaking and I still don't want to accept what just happened. I'm going to Huger Games. With Katniss Everdeen. I have been scared I would be reaped, I have been scared that she would be reaped. But, oh man, I have never imagined this scenario. I take deep breaths to calm down when the door open and my family comes in. Except my mother they all look terribly sad. Dad comes to sit next to me. He's not saying anything. He just puts his hand on my knee and sights.

"I guess the odds are absolutely not in my favor this year." I say trying to sound lightly. Dad looks at me with a tragic smile. Only he knows how bad this is for me. My mother comes to me and I'm curious, what she has to say to me. Nothing good I guess.

"Well maybe District Twelve will finally have a winner." she says coldly. Did she really said that? That's so not her...

"She's a survivor, that one." she adds. Yeah that's my mother.

"Goodbye Peeta." she says coldly and goes towards the door.

Ban comes to me, he even hugs me lightly a mumbles a goodbye to me. Then he goes to mother with his head down. When Rye comes to me, I see tears quietly going down his face. He hugs me in a bear-hug for a long time.

"Don't give up Bro. You're strong, you can come back." he encourages me and smiles weakly when he releases me. I smile weakly back and just nod slightly. My dad asks for them to leave us alone and so they do. He looks me in the eyes.

"Peeta, I know what you're planning." he says sadly and tears start to escape his eyes quietly too. I don't even try to stop mine. It is just impossible in this moment.

"I know you truly love her and I know you will do anything to protect her." he continues sadly "and I think that's right son. You will show all the Panem that there are better things worth fighting for than life." his voice cracks in the end.

"Just don't let them change you Peet." he finishes sadly "if you are gonna die, die with honor and for a good reason. Love is the best reason to give up your life for." he finishes and he takes a sharp breathe in.

"Thanks dad" I choke out, fighting with my own tears "Thanks for everything you did for me in my life." I finish and finally we hug. For a long minute we hug without a word until the peacekeeper comes and orders my dad out. We give each other one last smile and he's away. Just like that. My next visitor is Delly. Her face is red from crying, she hugs me for long and I have to promise her I will try to come back. But she doesn't believe me. Because she's my only friend who knows about my feelings for Katniss.

"You're going to sacrifice for her aren't you?" she says with fear in her voice. I just shrug and she hugs me again.

"Take this. You can use it as your token if you want." and she hands me a bracelet made of leather. We made it when we were small. Peacekeepers take her out and the bracelet in my hand is the only reminder of my lost home.

We are transported to the train station full of people and mainly reporters. We board the train, wave goodbye and Effie finally takes us into our rooms. She leaves us in our rooms and informs us that we should be in the dining room in an hour. I'm sitting on my bed, not knowing what should I do. I remember this morning, when I was sitting outside and drawing her. Worrying about her name being twenty times in the ball. And it was her sister with just one paper who got reaped. This morning seems so far away... I guess I can't do anything else then deal with this. How? I have no idea.

After half an hour of sitting in my room, I give up and go out. I walk through the train and explore the different cars and everything in there. Finally I arrive into the dining car. There is a table and few chairs. I sit down and wait until Effie comes in five minutes. We have a little talk until Katniss shows up. I secretly explore her face. She seems sad, but I'm sure she was not crying though, because her eyes are not red or swollen. She really is the bravest person I have ever met. We start the dinner without Haymitch. There is so many courses and meals, that I lost track of count. Meat, vegetables, fruit, bread and in the end chocolate cake. Everything is delicious and since this seems to be the last days in my life, I don't hesitate to eat everything that comes to me. In the end I regret this because my stomach is like on water. Effie makes some terrible note about last year's tributes eating with their hands and how impolite it was. I remember, they were from Seam and probably haven't eaten so much food in all year. I feel sick from her comment and a smirk creeps up on my face as I see Katniss, who starts eating with her hands after Effie's comment. On purpose. I feel a little sick in the end, but I hope it will be okay. Katniss seems a little green too. She wasn't hesitating with eating either. But to be honest she needs to gain weight more than I do.

Haymitch makes and amazing spectacle for us, coming for dinner when it is already gone, vomiting all over the carpet and as the final piece he falls right into his vomit. Together we get him back to his room with Katniss. I offer to deal with him. It was the first time I spoke to her and I'm proud I did not stammer or blush. She seems thankful. Even though I can't miss her exploring look. She looks at me cautiously and I would like to know why.

In the morning, I enter the dining car, while Haymitch and Effie are already there. Haymitch looks very tired and Effie seems irritated. I sit down and immediately get a huge plate of everything you could imagine for breakfast. There are eggs, bacon, vegetable, fruit, pancakes, waffles and much more. There is also a cup of sweet smelling something which catches my attention. I smell it and it reminds me of chocolate we put on some cakes in the bakery. I taste it and it is so sweet and velvet, that it makes me smile. I drink the first cup in a minute and I get another immediately. I found out that the combination of rolls and hot chocolate is perfect, especially when you dip the roll in the chocolate. Delicious. At least something is good at this one way trip. In that time, Katniss shows up with sleepy eyes and sits down numbly. She explores her plate, scrunches her nose over the coffee and curiously smells the hot chocolate.

"They call it hot chocolate." I say with a slight smile "It's good."

"I have never had chocolate." she says quietly. It seems sad to me, that she has never tasted something as good as chocolate.

"Then go on and taste it." I encourage her. She slowly takes a little sip.

"Mmmmm" she hums and doesn't hesitate to drink half of the cup at once. When she finishes it, she digs through her breakfast and I must say that for such a tiny person she eats a lot and very quickly. I'm not surprised though, she isn't used to have so much food. I'm still dipping pieces of roll in my chocolate and eat them slowly, when she finally finishes her plate and leans back. She examines us for a while, staying at Haymitch's face in the end.

"So you're supposed to give us advice." she says with a suspicion in her voice. I can't blame her. I can't imagine what kind of advice could he give us.

"Here's some advice. Stay alive," says Haymitch, and then bursts out laughing. That comment makes me angry but I try to hide it. I look at Katniss exactly in time to see her looking at me. Her look seems angry too.

"That's very funny." I say in my quiet anger and do a quick move to lash the liquor out of his hands. It falls on the ground. "Only not to us." I add piercing him with angry look. Katniss seems surprised with my reaction.

Well I guess I have crossed some line because in the next second I feel a sharp pain in my jaw and I fall down from the chair. He punched me. From the ground I see how he extends his hand towards the liquor, but Katniss stops his movement by diving a knife right between his hand and the bottle. She's angry too.

"Well, what's this?" says Haymitch looking at us. "Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?"

I want to put some ice on my jaw, but he stops me.

"No," says Haymitch, stopping me. "Let the bruise show. The audience will think you've mixed it up with another tribute before you've even made it to the arena."

"That's against the rules," I protest.

"Only if they catch you. That bruise will say you fought, you weren't caught, even better," says Haymitch. Then he turns to Katniss. "Can you hit anything with that knife besides a table?"

She throws the knife with all her force and it dives deeply into the wood. She is a lethal opponent, that's for sure.

"Stand over here. Both of you," says Haymitch, nodding to the middle of the room. We obey and he circles us, prodding us, checking our muscles, examining our faces. "Well, you're not entirely hopeless. Seem fit. And once the stylists get hold of you, you'll be attractive enough."

"All right, I'll make a deal with you. You don't interfere with my drinking, and I'll stay sober enough to help you," says Haymitch. "But you have to do exactly what I say." Well it's not some sort of amazing deal, but it's good enough for now.

"Fine," I say, still a little irritated by him.

"So help us," Katniss says. "When we get to the arena, what's the best strategy at the Cornucopia for someone…"

"One thing at a time. In a few minutes, we'll be pulling into the station. You'll be put in the hands of your stylists. You're not going to like what they do to you. But no matter what it is, don't resist," says Haymitch.

"But —" she begins to protest.

"No buts. Don't resist," says Haymitch strictly.

We slowly arrive to Capitol and both me and Katniss sit by the window and we look out to see it.

It's magnificent. Seeing it alive is so much different than on TV. If I wouldn't be going to die, I guess I would draw this scene... Tall towers growing high towards the sky, shiny cars, colorful paths and absolutely crazy people. It is all so different from the grey routine of 12. There is a huge number of people and they eagerly start to cheer when they recognize we're tributes. I wave enthusiastically and give them my biggest smiles. If we're going to be in hunger games, we need to be popular and I know how to do that I guess. Then we ride through a tunnel. By the corner of my eyes I see that Katniss is not well, she is pale and it seems she can't breathe well, her eyes are scared too. What's wrong with her?! But as soon as we ride out of the tunnel, she breaths out and looks better again. But as she sees the crowds of people on the train station she takes a few steps back from the window. She looks disgusted. I wave and smile and when I turn to see her I see anger in her eyes, which are looking at me.

"Who knows? One of them may be rich." I shrug. She studies me for a long time with a weird look on her face. Like if she was deciding something. In ten minutes we're out of the train, transported into the remake center, where we are handled into prep teams hands, who are gonna change us into new people. We're escorted to the remake center by cars and we are divided in there with Katniss. Before Haymitch goes away I catch his arm.

„Could you come to see me before the opening ceremony starts?" I ask urgently. „I would like to discuss something with you. Without Katniss." I imply. He observes me carefully and he promises to stop by.


	2. The Training

Chapter 2 – The Training

My body was never washed for so long and by so many kinds of gels, soaps, milks and God knows what else. They shave my face with some special gel, which will stop my beard from growing, so I would not have to shave it again. They also wash my hair about five times, they cut it and put some shampoos and conditioners into it. My prep team is made from three people. A women Marge with blue hair, another woman Mindy with orange skin and bright yellow hair and finally a man called Bobcat, who is following the latest fashion (inspired by animals) and wears a bobcat ears, he has tattoos on his face, so it resembles the animal and he also has whiskers. He looks a little creepy. But I get used to him. When they're done, they send me to a room right next to their little beauty studio. There is Haymitch waiting for me.

„So what did you want to discuss? I need to be elsewhere soon, so be quick. " he insists. Okay I'll spit it out immediately.

„Well, I wanted to make a deal with you." I say. He looks at me suspiciously.

"Let me guess." he says sceptically "You want me to choose you over her and you are going to tell me all your amazing skills and why are you better then her." he says and to my surprise he sounds a little annoyed.

"No." I say simply. He seems surprised.

„What kind of a deal you want to make then? " He asks.

„I would like you..." I hesitate and take a deep breathe "...to choose Katniss as your favorite. Choose her over me. Do anything to get her out." he looks at me in awe. I guess he wasn't expecting this.

"What?!" he asks like he thinks he heard me wrong.

"You heard me well. When we're in the arena, don't care about me. Do everything for her. Use all the money and gifts for her." I say and look for his reaction. He still seems shocked.

"Why would you do that?" asks Haymitch still shocked.

"Because..." I hesitate. My heart is running like it wants to jump out of my chest. "...because I love her." I admit and a blush creeps up my face and I have to look down.

"Oh, damn it!" he exclaims and he looks angry. He puts his head into his hands and mutters something. I guess this has never happened to our mentor before.

"I want to use it to protect her. To help her survive." I continue. "I was thinking that if I would reveal my love for her during the interviews, it would be good for her wouldn't it? We would be interesting and maybe they would favor us wouldn't they?" I ask.

"Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea. But first let me ask you one more question." he says and his eyes lock on mine. "She doesn't know about it? Did it happen just now?"

"Well, no and no. I fell in love with her when I was five." I admit. I see no point in hiding it from Haymitch.

"Why didn't you tell her then?!" he asks shocked "You had all eleven years to do so!"

"I'm a coward. She just makes me so nervous, that I couldn't tell her. She was a hunter and I was only a townie boy... I was afraid that if I would say something like that to her, she would shot an arrow through me right there..." he laughs in response.

"I don't blame you, she has a lot of temper. Well, you don't have to do anything about it now. As you already said, leave the bomb for the interviews, that will be perfect. It could help in the arena too. If you would make a romance with her in the arena, that would get a huge number of sponsors. Of course it would help if she would fall in love with you too. But I'm afraid, she will need a lot of convincing." he says thoughtfully. "For now, just make a good show. I have to go now." he finishes and taps my shoulder with his hand. Few minutes after he closes the door they open again.

There is a woman. She has long black hair, extraordinary green eyes and normal looking a little tanned skin. You would not recognize she's from Capitol. I would guess district 4. She smiles at me.

„Hi Peeta." she starts „I'm Portia and I will be your stylist." she extends her hand and I shake it firmly.

„Well as you already know I'm Peeta and I'm grateful you will help me." I say as we sit down.

For a while we talk about the games, about importance of the first impression and she says that they want to make us special today. Different that the other tributes from 12 in past. I can't imagine what they can do with coal miners, but I don't protest.

„You're a baker's son am I right?" Portia asks with interest.

„Yes I am. Why?" How could this help us?

„So you're not afraid of fire are you?" she asks quite too innocently. Well I'm not afraid of fire, but I respect it, because I know what a damage it can do.

In half an hour, I'm walking with my prep team towards the elevators in simple black unitard that covers me from ankle to neck, with fluttering cape made of streams of orange, yellow, and red and shiny leather boots. I also have a matching headpiece in my hair. They plan to set our costumes on fire. Great!

Portia ensured me, that the fire is synthetic and it will not do any harm to us, but I'm still worried. By the elevator we meet with Katniss and her prep team. Her clothing is identical. They put some makeup on her and she really looks amazing. Her face looks darker and as she scowls above her barbecue faith, she looks really terrifying with those dark shades on her face. Surprisingly as we arrive, she seems relieved to see me and even smiles a little. I nervously smile back at her. On our way down, everyone is chatting about our fire show enthusiastically. Except the two of us of course.

Down in the room, which looks like stables, Cinna (Katniss's stylist) and Portia direct us into our chariot and carefully arrange us and the drape of our capes, before moving off to consult something with each other. I can see the other pairs of tributes, nervously going around and their prep teams arranging them. Some of them laugh at us and our stylists. I guess they will change their minds, if everything goes well and they set us on fire without killing us. Suddenly Katniss leans closer to me and whisper.

„What do you think? About the fire?" I see worries in her face too.

"I'll rip off your cape if you'll rip off mine," I whisper back quietly.

„Deal" she confirms and stands up straight again. "I know we promised Haymitch we'd do exactly what they said, but I don't think he considered this angle." she adds.

"Where is Haymitch, anyway? Isn't he supposed to protect us from this sort of thing?" I ask. Is he lying drunk somewhere again? In such an important moment as this?

„With all that alcohol in him, it's probably not advisable to have him around an open flame," Katniss says in a serious tone. I look at her and can't help it but laugh out loud. For the first time since the reaping and it feels good, because it calms me down a little. Katniss laughs too. Her laugh is so beautiful, it's like angel music for my ears. I'm so taken by it that for a second I stare at her with a big idiotic smile on my face. _„Oh, come on! Stop smiling like an idiot, this is serious situation! You're going to Hunger Games!"_

The opening music begins. It's easy to hear all around the Capitol. Massive doors slide open revealing the crowd-lined streets. The ride lasts about twenty minutes and ends up at the City Circle, where they will welcome us and escort us into the Training Center, which will be our home/prison until the Games begin.

The tributes from District 1 ride out first. They look beautiful, spray-painted silver, in tasteful tunics glittering with jewels. District 1 makes luxury items for the Capitol. You can hear the roar of the crowd. They are always the favorites. District 2 gets into position to follow them. In no time at all, we are approaching the door and I can see that the twilight is coming. The tributes from District 11 are just rolling out when Cinna appears with a lighted torch.

"Here we go then," he says, and before we can react he sets us on fire. I gasp, waiting to be burned, but there is only a faint tickling sensation. Cinna climbs up in front of us and ignites our headdresses. He lets out a sign of relief. "It works."

"Remember, heads high. Smiles. They're going to love you!" he says with an encouraging smile.

He jumps off the chariot and has one last idea. He shouts something up at us, but the music is so loud that the only world I get is „hold". He shouts again and gestures to hands. Does he want us to hold hands?

"What's he saying?" Katniss turns to me and I stay in awe because only now I see how she looks with the fire on. Dazzling. The dark shades fits with the flames perfectly. She looks like some deadly queen of fire. She's gonna win every sponsor in the audience. After few seconds I realize that she was asking me a question and she's waiting for an answer.

„I think he said for us to hold hands." I say. And it takes all my courage to extend my hand and take hers into it. _„Oh man! I'm holding hands with Katniss Everdeen! Now I can die in peace!"_ I think in my head and I have to put a lot of effort to control my face so there would not be that idiotic smile again. Her hand is small in compare with mine. It's bony and cold, but as soft as silk. It fits into mine nicely. Like it was created to be in mine. It's just a perfect hand I would say. Sorry for babbling... You'll get used to it sooner or later. We look back at Cinna for approval and he gives us thumbs up. And all of the sudden the horses move and we ride into the city.

The crowd's initial alarm at our appearance quickly changes to cheers and shouts of "District Twelve!" or "Peeta! Katniss!" Everyone in the audience is now looking at us, immediately ignoring the other chariots. I have no problem with people staring at me so I smile widely and wave and try to look cheerful. I feel that next to me Katniss is like frozen. I guess this is not her style. But after a while she relaxes a little. I see us on a great screen and I must say I'm surprised by how amazing we look. In the deepening twilight, the firelight illuminates our faces. We seem to be leaving a trail of fire off the flowing capes. We both look more attractive but still recognizable since we don't have tones of makeup on our faces. Breathtaking. Unforgettable.

After a while Katniss also has a big smile for everyone, she waves and it's so not her. I haven't seen her smile like this for a long time. But I guess she realized, we have to start fighting to get sponsors. For now I'm glad we're holding hands. It is the only steady point for me. She grips my hand very tight. In one moment I hear a boom of screams and exclaims in the audience on the right side. For the first moment I don't know why, but then I see Katniss blowing a kiss towards the other side and that's the reason. She's so amazing.

„Peeta and Katniss!" I hear in the audience and I'm surprised, how fond of us they already are.

We don't stop to smile and wave even for a second. They are showering us with flowers. Katniss catches a rose thrown from the audience, sniffs it and blows a kiss towards the thrower. Hundreds of people extend their hands to catch it. I'm not surprised. I would like a kiss from her myself. I think we both feel like a little drunk by our sudden fame. We smile and wave until we enter the city circle. Only now Katniss seems to realize how much is she crushing my hand with her own. She wants to let go of it, but I grip it tight.

"No, don't let go of me," I say. "Please. I might fall out of this thing." The truth is that I want to hold her hand as long as I can. It's so nice. She inspects me with her flickering silver eyes for a second and then she says „Okay." and she keeps holding my hand. We stop in front of the president mansion, he welcomes us, wishes us luck and we're driven in the direction of the training center.

When the door close behind us, we're immediately surrounded by our prep teams who congratulate us, Portia and Cinna put down the flames and Katniss finally let's go of my hand. My hand is like frozen so I have to massage some blood into it.

"Thanks for keeping hold of me. I was getting a little shaky there," I admit to her.

"It didn't show," She says. "I'm sure no one noticed." she adds.

"I'm sure they didn't notice anything but you. You should wear flames more often. They suit you."

_Damn it! You said it out loud! What are you doing you idiot?!_ The only thing I'm able to do is a wide smile. I'm sure it is the idiotic one, which always appears on my face when I dream about her. On one hand I feel relieved that I'm able to speak to her but on the other hand what the hell I'm trying to accomplish by this?! She seems surprised first, but then to my shock and surprise, she smiles at me too, she stands on her tiptoes and plants a light kiss on the bruise on my cheek. _Oh my! Katniss kissed me! She gave me a kiss! _I can't describe that flush of happiness and warm feeling in my body, when her lips touched my skin. My heart feels like jumping out of my chest. It was so unexpected that I didn't know what to do so that idiotic smile remained on my face for a longer time. I regain my normal face as soon as I can, but I can't help but smile all the way to our floor. We ride the elevators to the twelfth floor, which is ours.

Effie seems enthusiastic about our success. District 12 tributes have never done such a coming. I wonder where Haymitch is. I hope he hasn't passed out somewhere. Effie keeps bubbling about how she was talking to everyone about us. The most funny thing she says is, that „If you put enough pressure on coal, it turns into pearls." I have to put a lot of effort to not laugh, but I assure her how clever that was. These Capitol people are so silly it's kind of cute. It's hard to hate them.

She leads me to my quarters. It's huge. I guess it's as big as one floor in the bakery. The bathroom is huge and everything is strange here. There is a number of buttons and levers. My shower is more a fight than taking a shower. When I finally find out how to regulate the temperature I accidentally hit some button and it start to flush bubbles all over me. Bubbles which smells like roses. So after a half an hour, I'm finally showered and I smell like roses. Great!

I go to the dining room when I meet Effie who was just going to fetch me, so she goes for Katniss instead.

Portia and Cinna are already there, standing on a balcony and looking at the city. I accompany them and admire the beauty of this view. I lock it in my mind for drawing it, but I guess I won't have any chance.

„You should see the roof garden" Cinna points out „if you want to calm down, go there, it's beautiful and calm." In five minutes he shows me the roof, which is a charming place. You can see all the Capitol from here. After a few minutes we go back.

When Katniss and Effie come, we sit around the table and the dinner is served. Right in that moment Haymitch comes. I must admit he surprises me. He looks clean, his clothes are nice and he even looks sober!

We eat and talk about our strategies. They are talking about our interview costumes. It seems that we will keep the flames as our symbol. Katniss will have some dress with flames and I will also have flames on my suit. This talk is interrupted by something strange. It happens when a redhead avox girl brings a cake. An avox is someone who was condemned guilty for bad crimes and their tongue has been cut out. They have to serve Capitol people in here. So this girl brings the cake which is on fire and Katniss seems all excited about it.

"What makes it burn? Is it alcohol?" she asks, looking up at the girl. "That's the last thing I wa — oh! I know you!" she exclaims and her eyes go wider as she examines her. The girl just shakes her head and goes away quickly. We all stare at Katniss as she turns around.

"Don't be ridiculous, Katniss. How could you possibly know an Avox?" snaps Effie. "The very thought."

"What's an Avox?" she asks.

"Someone who committed a crime. They cut her tongue so she can't speak," says Haymitch. "She's probably a traitor of some sort. Not likely you'd know her."

"And even if you did, you're not to speak to one of them unless it's to give an order," says Effie. "Of course, you don't really know her."

"No, I guess not, I just —" Katniss seems really lost, I can see that she was telling truth and she doesn't know how to hide it.

"Delly Cartwright." I say the first name which comes to my mind.

"That's who it is. I kept thinking she looked familiar as well. Then I realized she's a dead ringer for Delly." I say and look her in the eyes. She meets my gaze surprised. For a split of second she hesitates, but then.

"Of course, that's who I was thinking of. It must be the hair," she says.

„Something about her eyes too." I finish calmly.

"Oh, well. If that's all it is," says Cinna.

"And yes, the cake has spirits, but all the alcohol has burned off. I ordered it specially in honor of your fiery debut." he adds with a smile.

We eat the cake and move into a sitting room to watch the replay of the opening ceremonies that's being broadcast. A few of the other couples make a nice impression, but none of them can hold a candle to us. Even our own party lets out an "Ahh!" as they show us coming out of the Remake Center.

"Whose idea was the hand holding?" asks Haymitch.

"Cinna's," says Portia.

"Just the perfect touch of rebellion," says Haymitch. "Very nice." and he gives me a secret look and wink. What is that supposed to mean?

"Tomorrow morning is the first training session. Meet me for breakfast and I'll tell you exactly how I want you to play it," says Haymitch to us. "Now go get some sleep while the grown-ups talk."

We walk together down the corridor to our rooms. When we get to Katniss's room, I lean against the frame to assure she pays attention to me.

"So… Delly Cartwright. Imagine finding her lookalike here." I say and give her and inquisitive look. For a long while, she's thinking, hesitating. It must be something really secret to her. I remember the roof garden Cinna showed me.

"Have you been on the roof yet?" She shakes her head. "Cinna showed me. You can practically see the whole city. The wind's a bit loud, though." She inspects me cautiously, but then seems to get my point because she asks.

„Can we just go up?"

"Sure, come on," I say and lead her to the garden.

As we step into the cool, windy evening air, we both catch our breath at the view. The Capitol twinkles like a vast field of fireflies. We walk to a railing at the edge of the roof and look straight down the side of the building to the street, which is crowded with people.

"I asked Cinna why they let us up here. Weren't they worried that some of the tributes might decide to jump right over the side?" I say.

"What did he say?" She asks.

"You can't," I say. to prove it, I hold out my hand into seemingly empty space. There's a sharp zap and I jerk it back, because a small electric shock shots through me. "Some kind of electric field throws you back on the roof."

"Always worried about our safety," she says sarcastically.

"Do you think they're watching us now?" She still seems worried that someone will hear the truth about the avox girl.

"Maybe," I admit. "Come see the garden." I suggest and lead her there.

On the other side of the dome, there is a garden with flower beds and potted trees. From the branches hang hundreds of wind chimes, which account for the tinkling. Here in the garden, on this windy night, it's enough to drown out two people who are trying not to be heard. I look at her expectantly, waiting for her story to come.

"We were hunting in the woods one day. Hidden, waiting for game," she whispers.

"You and your father?" I interrupt her.

"No, my friend Gale. Suddenly all the birds stopped singing at once. Except one. As if it were giving a warning call. And then we saw her. I'm sure it was the same girl. A boy was with her. Their clothes were tattered. They had dark circles under their eyes from no sleep. They were running as if their lives depended on it," she whispers. She pauses for a moment, probably thinking about something.

"The hovercraft appeared out of nowhere," she continues "I mean, one moment the sky was empty and the next it was there. It didn't make a sound, but they saw it. A net dropped down on the girl and carried her up, fast, so fast like the elevator. They shot some sort of spear through the boy. It was attached to a cable and they hauled him up as well. But I'm certain he was dead. We heard the girl scream once. The boy's name, I think. Then it was gone, the hovercraft. Vanished into thin air. And the birds began to sing again, as if nothing had happened." she looks scared of that memory. I can see the fear in her eyes.

"Did they see you?" I asked.

"I don't know. We were under a shelf of rock," She replies and only now I realize that she's shivering.

"You're shivering," I say quietly, I pull off my jacket and wrap it around her shoulders as a true gentleman. I have nothing to lose. I have only a few days of my life in front of me so why not to try to be friends with her, what do I know, maybe she will like me too.

"They were from here?" I ask, while securing a button at her neck. She nods.

"Where do you suppose they were going?" I ask.

"I don't know that," she says. "Or why they would leave here." she adds after a while.

"I'd leave here," I blurt out. Only then I realize that's not a good thing to say in Capitol. It was loud enough to hear above the chimes. I laugh to cover it. "I'd go home now if they would let me. But you have to admit, the food's prime."

"It's getting chilly. We better go in," I say. Inside the dome, it's warm and bright. But her friend Gale keeps bugging in my head. Is he only a friend?

"Your friend Gale. He's the one who took your sister away at the reaping?" I ask in conversational tone.

"Yes. Do you know him?" She asks.

"Not really. I hear the girls talk about him a lot. I thought he was your cousin or something. You favor each other," I say, trying not to reveal how much I'm scared that she will say he's more than a friend..

"No, we're not related," she says quietly.

I just nod. "Did he come to say good-bye to you?"

"Yes," She says and now looks at me, examining my face. "So did your father. He brought

me cookies." This blows my wind out. My father went to say goodbye to her?! Gave her cookies?! Why?!

"Really?" I say nervously „Well, he likes you and your sister. I think he wishes he had a daughter instead of a houseful of boys." It's true. I guess he would like to have at least one daughter. And it's also true that he likes both Katniss and Prim. Maybe it's also because of their mother. Katniss seems surprised by my sayings.

"He knew your mother when they were kids," I add, searching if she knows about what once happened between them.

"Oh, yes. She grew up in town," is the only thing she says. So she doesn't know about it I guess.

We just arrived at her door. She takes down my jacket and gives it back to me.

"See you in the morning then." she says and looks me in the eyes. I'm still kind of hypnotized when she does look into my eyes intently like this.

"See you," I say and head down to my quarters.

I strip down my clothes, wash my face and get some pyjamas from the closet. I go to bed, but I can't sleep for a long time. I keep thinking about everything that happened. About the opening ceremony, about the games, but mostly about Katniss. How we held hands all the time during the ceremony and mostly how she kissed my cheek after it. Why would she do that? Than I'm back in thinking about her story with the avox girl. It was a weird story. And this leads me to thinking about Gale. I always thought he's something like her cousin. Or more hoped. I guess they met somewhere in the forest, because I haven't seen them together before she started hunting. But since that time, I saw them together very often. Going to hunt, going to hob, selling squirrels to my father. They must be really close. My question is, does she love him? If yes, I have a big problem. In these thoughts I fall into unsteady sleep. I wake up few times during the night, but most terrible is, when I wake up in the morning, hearing screams. I'm pretty sure it was a girl. I'm pretty sure it was Katniss. I hope it was only a nightmare. I would like to go and check on her, but I guess she would not open the door. So I keep lying in bed for like another hour. Then I give up sleeping and go to take a shower. Again I end up being attacked by rose bubbles. Well at least I smell nice. There is a pile of fresh clothes waiting for me on the floor. Black pants and green shirt.

I meet Haymitch on my way to the dining room and when we enter in, Katniss is already there. Sitting by the table, dipping pieces of roll in hot chocolate. I can't help than smile over that, because that's what I did just yesterday morning, when she came for breakfast.

"Good morning" I smile at her. She just mumbles her answer to me, she seems annoyed. I'm not surprised if she was hunted by nightmares.

We eat the breakfast quietly, not talking very much. Katniss seems as nervous as I am. We have three days of training ahead of us and we're going to meet with the other tributes today. That makes me nervous. Everyone will know how bad I am and that I absolutely don't know anything about fighting with any weapon. I'm kind of hopeless.

"So, let's get down to business." Haymitch says after taking a long sip out of his flask.

„Training. First off, if you like, I'll coach you separately. Decide now."

"Why would you coach us separately?" Katniss asks.

"Say if you had a secret skill you might not want the other to know about," says Haymitch.

We exchange looks with Katniss.

"I don't have any secret skills," I say amused. "And I already know what yours is, right?" I smile at Katniss. „ I mean, I've eaten enough of your squirrels." I add and she looks surprised a little.

"You can coach us together," Katniss says and I nod.

"All right, so give me some idea of what you can do," says Haymitch.

"I can't do anything," I say hopelessly "Unless you count baking bread." I joke.

"Sorry, I don't. Katniss. I already know you're handy with a knife," says Haymitch.

"Not really. But I can hunt," she says. "With a bow and arrow."

"And you're good?" asks Haymitch. She thinks for a while.

"I'm all right„ she says quietly like it is nothing. I have to put a lot of effort not to laugh over that.

„All right?" I interrupt her. "She's excellent! My father buys her squirrels. He always comments on how the arrows never pierce the body. She hits each one in the eye. It's the same with the rabbits she sells the butcher. She can even bring down a deer." If she doesn't want to admit how good she is, I have to do that. It's for her own good. She looks angry with me though.

"What are you doing?" she asks suspiciously.

"What are you doing? If he's going to help you, he has to know what you're capable of. Don't underrate yourself," I defend. Even though it only makes her angrier.

"What about you?" she snaps. „I've seen you in the market. You can lift a hundred-pound bags of

flour, tell him that. That's not nothing." She looks really scary and dangerous when she's really angry. The look she's piercing me with could kill. But her arguing only makes me angry too.

"Yes, and I'm sure the arena will be full of bags of flour for me to chuck at people. It's not like being able to use a weapon. You know it isn't," I shoot back and give her an angry look.

"He can wrestle," she turns to Haymitch and it sounds more like an accusation "He came in second in our school competition last year, only after his older brother." I'm surprised she knows so much about me, but I don't have time to think about it.

"What use is that? How many times have you seen someone wrestle someone to death?" I say in disgust.

"There's always hand-to-hand combat. All you need is to come up with a knife, and you'll at least stand a chance. If I get jumped, I'm dead!" she's almost screaming now and with this saying I'm startled. It's true. If she gets into hand combat with someone, she has no chance with her little body. But I know better than that.

"But you won't! You'll be living up in some tree eating raw squirrels and picking off people with arrows." I can't hold my nerves any more. Does she really think so low about her skills? „You know what my mother said to me when she came to say good-bye, as if to cheer me up, she says maybe District Twelve will finally have a winner. Then I realized, she didn't mean me, she meant you!" I burst out.

"Oh, she meant you," she dismisses me.

"She said, 'She's a survivor, that one.' _She _is," I say angrily.

Suddenly when I say this, she looks startled, surprised and for a short moment I see her eyes are scared. She calms down so suddenly it surprises me.

"But only because someone helped me." she peeps and downcasts her eyes. I have to think a moment about this, until I remember that day. That day, when she and her family almost starved to death and I gave her our bread. She really remembers it? I can't look into her eyes so I look down too.

"People will help you in the arena. They'll be tripping over each other to sponsor you." I say quietly. I know it, with the entrance she made, I'm sure the sponsors didn't notice anyone else. If she gets a good rating (which I don't doubt by the way), she will have a lot of sponsors.

"No more than you," she says and looks at me. Oh my, have you ever seen someone as modest as her? Or is she not aware of her power now? I look at Haymitch and shake my head.

"She has no idea. The effect she can have." She tries to look at me, but I avoid it. She seems irritated by my words.

After about a minute of this, Haymitch says, "Well, then. Well, well, well. Katniss, there's no guarantee there will be bows and arrows in the arena, but during your private session with the Gamemakers, show them what you can do. Until then, stay clear of archery. Are you any good at trapping?"

"I know a few basic snares," she mutters. I resist the urge to laugh and make fun of it again. A few? I bet she knows at least a dozen!

"That may be significant in terms of food," says Haymitch.

"And Peeta" he turns to me „she's right, never underestimate strength in the arena. Very often, physical power tilts the advantage to a player. In the Training Center, they will have weights, but don't reveal how much you can lift in front of the other tributes. The plan's the same for both of you. You go to group training. Spend the time trying to learn something you don't know. Throw a spear. Swing a mace. Learn to tie a decent knot. Save showing what you're best at until your private sessions. Are we clear?" says Haymitch. We both just nod.

"One last thing. In public, I want you by each others side every minute," says Haymitch. We both start to object, but Haymitch slams his hand on the table. "Every minute! It's not open for discussion! You agreed to do as I said! You will be together and you will appear amiable to each other. Now get out. Meet Effie at the elevator at ten for training."

After that verdict, we go back to our rooms. I hear how she slammed the door loudly. She's angry, that's clear. I don't blame her. Haymitch makes us to be friends by force, which is not helping me. But what can I do. Now I have to think about what she said about me. She said she used to see me on a market. And she knew about my wrestling. I have never seen her watching the matches though. Is it possible, that she was watching me too? She surely remembers that day, when I gave her the bread. But the way her behavior changed when she mentioned it hints me that she feels bad for it. Or is she ashamed? Or sorry for me? I have no idea. I wonder what else she noticed about me. She's such a secret to me, this girl with game. That's how I used to call her sometimes.

Five minutes before ten I head towards the elevator. Katniss appears about a minute after me, looking anxious and even biting her nails. We step into the elevator without a word and ride down to the training part of the center. The actual training rooms are below ground level of our building. With these elevators, the ride is less than a minute. The doors open into an enormous gymnasium filled with various weapons and obstacle courses. Although it's not yet ten, we're the last ones to arrive. The other tributes are gathered in a tense circle. They each have a cloth square with their district number on it pinned to their shirts. They pin a big 12 to our backs and we join the others.

As soon as we join them, the head trainer Atala begins to explain the training schedule. We are free to travel from area to area as we choose. Some of the stations teach survival skills, others fighting techniques. We are forbidden to engage in any combative exercise with another tribute. There are assistants on hand if we want to practice with a partner. I can't help than looking at the other tributes now. They all seem scary and I'm sure all of them can use some weapon. Especially creepy are the careers. Those are districts 1,2 and 4 usually. Well-fed and trained, volunteered to go here. I'm usually disgusted by them. There are some smaller ones like the boy with the cripple leg and the little girl from 11. I can't help but feel that Katniss was sorry for her during the reaping.

When Atala releases us, all the careers head to the weapons, most deadly ones. They are half professionals with most of them and it scares me. How on earth will I be able to protect Katniss from these lethal opponents?!

„Where would you like to start?" I nudge Katniss because she seems to be deep in thought.

"Suppose we tie some knots," she says annoyed.

"Right you are," I say and we cross to an empty station where the trainer seems pleased to have students. Knotting class is not the Hunger games hot spot. He's excited about Katniss's skills in tying knots and he shows us a simple, excellent trap that will leave a human competitor dangling by a leg from a tree. We concentrate on this skill for an hour until both of us have mastered it. I don't have to say that it took me longer than her. Then, to my excitement, we move on to camouflage station.

I start swirling a combination of mud and clay and berry juices around on my skin, weaving disguises from vines and leaves. The trainer who runs the camouflage station is full of enthusiasm at my work. This is not a very popular and crowded station either. I'm proud that this is something I'm better at than Katniss.

„How do you do this?" Katniss asks a little suspiciously.

„I do the cakes." I say with a proud smile.

„The cakes?" she's distracted by a boy from 2 who is just throwing spares. His arm is deadly precise.

„At home. In the bakery. The iced ones." I explain and she finally looks at me. For a while she expects my arm, which looks like leaves in the forest now.

"It's lovely. If only you could frost someone to death," she says with annoyed voice. It offends me a little.

"Don't be so superior. You can never tell what you'll find in the arena. Say it's actually a gigantic cake —" I begin.

"Say we move on," she breaks in.

The Gamemakers appeared early on the first day. Twenty men and women dressed in deep purple robes. They sit in the elevated stands that surround the gymnasium, sometimes wandering about to watch us, jotting down notes, other times eating at the endless banquet that has been set for them, ignoring the lot of us. But they do seem to be keeping their eye on the District 12 tributes. Several times I've looked up to find one fixated on me or Katniss. They consult with the trainers during our meals as well. We see them all gathered together when we come back.

So the next three days pass with Katniss and me going quietly from station to station. We do pick up some valuable skills, from starting fires, to knife throwing, to making shelter. Despite Haymitch's order to appear mediocre, I excel in hand-to-hand combat, and Katniss sweeps the

edible plants test without blinking an eye. We stay clear of archery and weightlifting though.

Breakfast and dinner are served on our floor, but at lunch the twenty-four of us eat in a dining room off the gymnasium. Food is arranged on carts around the room and you serve yourself. The Career tributes tend to gather around one table, as if to prove their superiority. Most of the other tributes sit alone. No one says a word to us. Katniss and I eat together, and since Haymitch keeps dogging us about it, we try to keep up a friendly conversation during the meals.

It's not easy though. I'm usually easy speaking person but it's kind of hard to talk with Katniss since she is such a quiet person. We don't have much in common, so I'm not sure what should I talk about with her. So I'm just trying to cheer her up or coax some deeper stuff from her. One day, I empty our breadbasket and point out how they include types from the districts along with the refined bread of the Capitol.

"And there you have it," I say, scooping the breads back in the basket.

"You certainly know a lot," Katniss says.

"Only about bread," I say. "Okay, now laugh as if I've said something funny." I smile. We both give a somewhat convincing laugh and ignore the stares from around the room.

"All right, I'll keep smiling pleasantly and you talk," I say and give her a smile. It's wearing us both out, Haymitch's direction to be friendly. I would really like to be friends and I'm really trying, but it's so hard with her. Because ever since that evening argument, there's been a chill in the air between us. But we have our orders.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I was chased by a bear?" she says.

"No, but it sounds fascinating," I say and pay attention to her story. I keep laughing and asking things so we look like friends. Well it's not so hard for me since I would like to become her friend.

The second day I noticed something strange. It seems like we have an admirer. It's that girl from 11. She's the twelve-year-old. Up close she looks about ten. She has bright, dark, eyes and satiny brown skin and stands tilted up on her toes with her arms slightly extended to her sides, as if ready to take wing at the slightest sound. She's like a little bird.

„I think we have a shadow" I say quietly to Katniss while she throws her spare.

She picks up another spear while I throw. "I think her name's Rue," I add softly.

"What can we do about it?" she asks and I'm surprised by her harshly tone.

"Nothing to do," I say back. "Just making conversation."

Back on the District 12 floor, Haymitch and Effie grill us throughout breakfast and dinner about every moment of the day. What we did, who watched us, and how the other tributes size up. Cinna and Portia aren't around, so there's no one to add any sanity to the meals. Not that Haymitch and Effie are fighting anymore. Instead they seem to be of one mind, determined to whip us into shape. Full of endless directions about what we should do and not do in training. I am more patient, but Katniss becomes fed up. I don't blame her, it's tiring and annoying. When we're finally released the second night, we walk toward our rooms together and even I feel annoyed.

"Someone ought to get Haymitch a drink." I mumble annoyed by their questions this laughs a little, which makes me smile. But then she scowls again.

"Don't. Don't let's pretend when there's no one around." she says annoyed.

"All right, Katniss," I say tired of the day and disappointed that she doesn't want to be my friend. After that, we only talk in front of people, which makes me feel sad.

On the third day of training, they start to call us out of lunch for our private sessions with the Gamemakers. District by district, first the boy, then the girl tribute. As usual, District 12 is slated to go last. We linger in the dining room, unsure where else to go. No one comes back once they

have left. As the room empties, the pressure to appear friendly lightens. By the time they call Rue, we are left alone. We sit in silence until they summon me. I rise.

"Remember what Haymitch said about being sure to throw the weights." she says and I'm surprised by that and the worried look in her eyes.

"Thanks. I will," I say and smile slightly. "You . . . shoot straight." I add and turn around to go to the room.

When I walk in I know that the odds are not in our favor. They've been here too long, the Gamemakers. Sat through twenty-two other demonstrations. Most of them had probably too much wine, because they sing some drinking song and it's quite off the tune too. They want to go home more than anything. But even though I have no other choice then do what I planned. I threw few weights, I lifted also the heaviest ones, but I have no chance to make an impression with that. After like fifteen minutes, they dismiss me and I go out and towards the elevators. I guess I won't get a high score, but what does it matter. I'm going to die either way.

When I arrive to the floor, Haymitch, Effie and the stylist were waiting in the living room so I accompany them.

„How did it go?" Haymitch asks and everyone looks at me. I don't want to admit how hopeless I am yet.

"It was okay I think." I mumble and they all smile and continue in their conversation. We all wait for Katniss to come back. It takes twenty minutes until the elevator opens, but something about her expression is telling me it's not good.

„We're here Katniss." Haymitch calls. „Come on and tell us how did it go."

She turns to us for a second and that's when I can see her scared face. She turns on her heel and runs to her room. We can clearly hear her sob.

„What the hell?!" Haymitch says and together with me and Effie we go to her door.

„Katniss what happened? Open the door!" he says and knocks. The only response are her sobs.

„Come on Katniss, it couldn't be that bad." Effie sings in her Capitol accent. „Open the door." she tries.

„Go away! Leave me alone!" she screams between her sobs. Haymitch and Effie give up and they go back to the living room. I sit next to the door and listen to her sobs. It is painful to hear her suffer like that. I would like to hug her and sooth her. I wonder what upset her so much.

„You know I'm a good listener." I say calmly. „If you would let me in, I could help you. It'll be okay." I try it my way. There is silence for a moment.

„Please go away Peeta. Leave me alone." she pleads and starts sobbing again. And so I do. I go back to my quarters and go out only when Effie calls me for the dinner.

After five minutes finally even Katniss comes. But her mood is still the same I would say. Her head is down, she avoids looking at anyone and she doesn't say a word. The adults start some little talk and I stay quiet examining her. Her face is red and her eyes puffy, she has cried for a long time and I'm sure it's because of the session with the gamemakers. What could she do? Right in that moment, she looks up at me. I give her a quizzical look, but she just shakes her head and she looks back at her fish soup.

When the main course is served, Haymitch finally gives up waiting.

„Okay, enough small talk, just tell us how bad you were." he says and look at the two of us.

I decide I start to make it easier for Katniss.

"I don't know that it mattered. By the time I showed up, no one even bothered to look at me. They were singing some kind of drinking song, I think. So, I threw around some heavy objects until they told me I could go." Haymitch only hums in approval and turns to Katniss.

„What about you sweetheart?" he asks and I'm surprised by the softness in his voice. Obviously even Haymitch can feel, that it has to be something bad, when she's so upset. She takes a deep breath and here it comes.

"I shot an arrow at the Gamemakers." she mumbles. _Oh man, why doesn't it surprise me?_ If they were ignoring her just as much as me. As I imagine it I have to put a huge effort not to laugh. Everyone just look at Katniss in shock.

„You what?" Effie asks in horror

"I shot an arrow at them. Not exactly at them. In their direction. It's like Peeta said, I was shooting, trying my best and they were ignoring me and I just . . . I just lost my head, so I shot an apple out of their stupid roast pig's mouth!" she says defiantly.

"And what did they say?" says Cinna carefully.

"Nothing. Or I don't know. I walked out after that," she says and it scares me a little. She really is a rebel kind of person.

"Without being dismissed?" gasps Effie.

"I dismissed myself," she says annoyed and it makes me smile a little. She's a fighter that I must admit. She will not let them control her and that's what I like about her.

„Well that's that." Haymitch finishes and pay attention to his roll.

"Do you think they'll arrest me?" she asks.

"Doubt it. Be a pain to replace you at this stage," says Haymitch.

"What about my family?" she says. "Will they punish them?" Again she confirms my theory about how loving person she is. She's going to die in a few days and the only thing she cares about is if her mother and sister are safe.

"Don't think so. Wouldn't make much sense. See they'd have to reveal what happened in the Training Center for it to have any worthwhile effect on the population. People would need to know what you did. But they can't since it's secret, so it'd be a waste of effort," says Haymitch. "More likely they'll make your life hell in the arena."

"Well, they've already promised to do that to us anyway," I say my thought out loud.

"Very true," says Haymitch and I think that Katniss seems a little better. After a while Haymitch starts to chuckle.

"What were their faces like?" he asks and looks at Katniss. I look at her too. She smiles slightly.

"Shocked. Terrified. Uh, ridiculous, some of them. One man tripped backward into a bowl of punch." she says and laughs. Haymitch guffaws and we all start laughing except Effie, although even she is suppressing a smile.

"Well, it serves them right. It's their job to pay attention to you. And just because you come from District Twelve is no excuse to ignore you." Then her eyes dart around as if she's said something totally outrageous.

"I'm sorry, but that's what I think," she says to no one in particular.

"I'll get a very bad score," Katniss says hopelessly. I give her an encouraging smile.

"Scores only matter if they're very good, no one pays much attention to the bad or mediocre ones. For all they know, you could be hiding your talents to get a low score on purpose. People use that strategy," said Portia.

"I hope that's how people interpret the four I'll probably get," I say and I really mean it "If that. Really, is anything less impressive than watching a person pick up a heavy ball and throw it a couple of yards. One almost landed on my foot." to my surprise, Katniss gives me a huge grin and wink and starts eating with all hunger she has. I'm glad she's feeling better.

After dinner, we go to sitting room to watch the scores announced on television. First they show a photo of the tribute, then flash their score below it. The Career Tributes naturally get in the eight-to-ten range. Most of the other players average a five. Surprisingly, little Rue comes up with a

seven. I don't know what she showed the judges, but it must have been impressive.

District 12 comes up last, as usual. My face comes up on the screen and I'm anxious to see the number. To my shock I get 8! I'm excited about that and everyone is happy for me. Only Katniss is sitting with her hands griping the couch tightly, anxious expression on her face. We all look at the screen where her face is projected now. There is a second of dead silence and then a big 11 appears on the screen. Everyone congratulates her excited.

"There must be a mistake. How . . . how could that happen?" she asks Haymitch.

"Guess they liked your temper," he says. "They've got a show to put on. They need some players with some heat."

"Katniss, the girl who was on fire," says Cinna and gives her a hug.

"Oh, wait until you see your interview dress."

"More flames?" she asks.

"Of a sort," he says mischievously with a smile.

Finally she turns to me with a relieved smile on her face.

„Congratulations!" I smile back at her. „You're officially the most lethal tribute of this year." She just playfully punches me with her fist and to my big surprise she hugs me tight. It's so nice to feel her little body pressed against mine. As she hugs me I run my hand over her back and I touch her braid. Her hair is soft and it smells beautifully. Like pines and forest. Suddenly, like if she just realized what has she done, she pulls away and has kind of a shy smile on her face.

„Good night" she blurs out and hurries back to her room. I slowly walk back to mine and again I must have that silly smile on my face, because I'm thinking how beautiful it would be if she would love me back. Well during the interview I'll reveal my secret. We'll see if she will like me or kill me. I would bet on the second one. I go back to my room and fall down into bed. Tomorrow is another day of training – for the interviews for a change and than... As Effie would say, the day after tomorrow will be a big, big, big day.

* * *

**Hi! I hope you like this fanfiction. I don't own Hunger Games, it's property of Suzanne Collins. I'm happy for every favorite, follow and review :) Thanks a lot! :) **


	3. Let The Fight Begin

Chapter 3: Let The Fight Begin

When I wake up, the sun is not out yet. I can't sleep anymore and I feel anxious. The fight begins tomorrow. Well not the arena, but interviews are really important for sponsors. If you are interesting enough and they will like you, they can be your lifesavers in the arena. We will train for interviews this morning and tomorrow will be our last day here. I wish I would have my sketchbook. That would help me calm down. I ask the Avox man, who's supposed to be my servant. He just points to the microphone. I had no idea I can order other things than food with it.

„Sketchbook and pencils." I say clearly and really in a few seconds everything lays in front of me.

„Cool." I take it with a smile and I walk to the balcony in the dining room. There I sit down, lean my back against the wall and watch the sunrise. It's beautiful. Now I realize that it could be one of my last sunrises. I watch it quietly and sketch the outline of Capitol illuminated by the rising sun. The first sun beams are warming my face and somehow it feels calming. Almost like at home, when I climb out of the window, sit on the roof and watch the district in the mornings. I have no idea how long have I sat there until a voice makes me jump.

„That's really nice." says Haymitch.

„Thanks. I had to occupy my mind somehow, because if I wouldn't, I would have to think about next days and that's something I don't want to do yet." I admit and look down at my drawing.

„Hmm. I understand that." he says that in a strange sad voice and when I look at him by the corner of my eye, he seems really sorry for me. For both of us I guess. He seems like he likes us very much.

„So I guess, today you will be separated huh?" he asks.

„Why?"

„Well do you want Katniss to know your interview secret?" He asks with a questioning look. I shake my head.

„Okay then in the morning you'll be with me and she'll be with Effie and in the afternoon it will be the other way around." he says and I think about it for a while.

„Okay, but I think she'll be angry at me." I say. As much as she doesn't want to be friends with me, I know this will make her angry.

Effie accompanies us after a while and we just tell her about our schedule when Katniss comes. She doesn't pay attention to us and stuffs herself with lamb stew. I can't blame her, it's really delicious. After a while she finally looks up.

"So, what's going on? You're coaching us on interviews today, right?" Katniss asks.

"That's right," says Haymitch.

"You don't have to wait until I'm done. I can listen and eat at the same time," she says.

"Well, there's been a change of plans. About our current approach," says Haymitch.

"What's that?" she asks casually.

Haymitch shrugs. "Peeta has asked to be coached separately." Well when he says it like that I sound like a traitor a bit. She also looks at me like that. Shocked. Betrayed. But she composes herself quite quickly.

"Good," she says. "So what's the schedule?"

"You'll each have four hours with Effie for presentation and four with me for content," says Haymitch. "You start with Effie, Katniss." he adds and after a while, they go away to Katniss's room, while me and Haymitch go to the sitting room and sit down on a couch.

„Well I think we know how we're going to present you." he starts and eyes me curiously.

„Do we?" I ask.

„Of course. If you haven't changed your mind, you will be the boy in love." he says and looks at me. „If you will reveal your love for Katniss tonight, it will be something entirely new in the games. And new attractive things are good for sponsors." he sums it up.

„So what will we do now?" I ask. For a while he looks at me.

„Well I'll ask you questions and you answer. Try to be amusing or something. We'll see how it goes." Haymitch says and pulls out a paper.

He's interviewing me for like two hours, with pauses when he's giving me different advice. But generally he says that I am good at this. He says I'm very amusing and if my nerves won't spoil it everyone will love me. At least I'm good at this when I can't fight well. I guess it won't help me in the arena much.

We have some lunch together and we change with Katniss. She goes to Haymitch, who looks pretty skeptical now and I go with Effie, to my bedroom. She teaches me how to smile for cameras, how to speak with smile, how to charm people with my smile. She teaches me how to sit and stand in right positions and she also teaches me how to behave properly between people and especially to women. In the end she gives me advices about speaking, but it seems that I don't need it very much. I'm kind of talkative person and I think I'm able to use my words well. Effie is happy about me in the end.

„Ohh you will be amazing honey." she beams at me. „You're charming naturally, nothing like Katniss with her deadly glares. If she will go through the interview well, it will be a miracle." she complains.

„She'll be okay." I smile at her and we head for dinner. Katniss is not there and Haymitch smells like alcohol and when I ask how were they, he seems drunk.

„I gave it up. Three hours of work and no success." he goes away angrily and I'm little concerned about Katniss. My concerns are confirmed, when I hear her screaming at the avox girl

„Just leave it! Just leave it be!" but instead the girl goes in and closes the door. I'm concerned how she is, but I leave her alone and rather go back to the balcony and draw Capitol again. After some time, I go to bed, anxious about tomorrow.

I wake up early again. Even more anxious than yesterday. Today I will tell all the Panem that I love Katniss. I'm not afraid of the Panem knowing it though. I'm most afraid about her reaction. I have my breakfast in my bedroom. Then I just keep sitting in my bed, drawing first image which is in my mind. I draw Katniss from the day of the opening ceremony. Dressed in flames. She was looking amazing and I enjoy drawing it. In the middle of the morning, my prep team arrives. They clean all my body, cut my hair and give them some new shape with gel. They treat my nails and hands so they are softer. They put makeup on my face even though I don't like it. They spray my hair with some golden glitters so it glitters on light. Then Portia comes and brings the clothes. She has a black suit for me, but it's not just an ordinary suit. On the edge of its sleeves, there are flames in orange, red and yellow colors and the flames are also on the collar. They are made of little gems so they sparkle at light. Almost like a real fire. She also gives me a plain black shirt. When I'm dressed into it, I must admit, that I look striking.

„You look amazing Peeta." Portia exclaims and the prep team agrees with her enthusiastically. „Well and as I have heard, you have no problem with speaking so I'm sure you'll be stunning." she gives me a huge smile.

„I hope so." I mumble. I'm starting to be nervous.

„Well Haymitch said that you have something really special for the interview. Something no one ever forgets." she says and looks at me curiously, when the prep team is gone.

„Can you keep a secret?" I ask with a weak smile. She smiles and nods.

„I will tell all of them my secret." I take a deep breath "I love Katniss." I say and wait for her reaction. She's just in awe for a few seconds.

"Oh, my... Is it true? Or just made up for the show?" she asked and she looks scared.

"True." I say sadly. "But she has no idea about it."

"Oh my, this is gonna kill the audience. Haymitch was right, no one will ever forget this." she says in shock.

Then she looks at the clock and hurries me out to the elevators. In a while Katniss comes with Cinna and her prep team. She looks stunning. In a beautiful dress full of shining diamonds making glittering flames all around her. Same ones I have on my sleeves and collar.

"Wow! You look amazing." I smile at her. She smiles nervously. "I hope it will hide my lack of speaking skills." she whispers to me and I give her an encouraging smile.

"You'll be just fine. They will love you." I say and she just smiles again.

We just arrived to the ground floor where the temporary stage is. The other tributes are being lined up to take the stage too. All twenty-four of us will sit in a big arc throughout the interviews. I'll be last of all. I would prefer to be first, but as Haymitch told me it will be a good ending of the evening.

Right before we parade onto the stage, Haymitch comes up behind us and growls, "Remember, you're still a happy pair. So act like it." I don't know why he says it and what could we do here to show that we're friends.

An elevated seating unit has been set up for prestigious guests, with the stylists commanding the front row. The cameras will turn to them when the crowd is reacting to their handiwork. A large balcony off a building to the right has been reserved for the Gamemakers. Television crews have claimed most of the other balconies. But the City Circle and the avenues that feed into it are completely packed with people. Standing room only. At homes and community halls around the country, every television set is turned on. Every citizen of Panem is tuned in. There will be no blackouts tonight.

Caesar Flickerman, the man who has hosted the interviews for more than forty years, bounces onto the stage. It's a little scary because his appearance has been virtually unchanged during all that time. Same face under a coating of pure white makeup. Same hairstyle that he dyes a different color for each Hunger Games. Same ceremonial suit, midnight blue dotted with a thousand tiny electric bulbs that twinkle like stars. They do surgery in the Capitol, to make people appear

This year, Caesar's hair is powder blue and his eyelids and lips are coated in the same hue. He looks freakish but less frightening than he did last year when his color was crimson and he seemed to be bleeding. Caesar tells a few jokes to warm up the audience but then gets down to business.

Each interview lasts exactly three minutes. Then a buzzer goes off and the next tribute is up. I'll say this for Caesar, he really does his best to make the tributes shine. He's friendly, tries to set the nervous ones at ease, laughs at lame jokes, and he can turn a weak response into a memorable one by the way he reacts.

As he goes through the tributes, I look at Katniss by the corner of my eye. She seems very nervous. Her hands are shaking slightly and she's also having a nervous smile on her face. Well at least she smiles. Most of the tributes seems to have some typical behavior. Sexy Glimmer from 1, deadly Cato from 2, sly redhead Anika from 5. When they come to 11, I'm startled by Rue. Dressed in a gossamer gown complete with wings, she looks like an angel. How can they send her into the games I can't understand. She's very sweet and I can't imagine how someone could not love her. The boy from 11 looks deadly too. He's really big and seems strong. He's not a talkative guy, but it doesn't matter in his case.

Now it's Katniss's turn. I'm nervous for her and I secretly cross my fingers for her. As they call her name, she stands up and walks toward Caesar. For now, she looks like a real lady, walking straight in a beautiful dress. I keep my fingers crossed that she will not mess it up.

"So, Katniss, the Capitol must be quite a change from District Twelve. What's impressed you most since you arrived here?" asks Caesar.

_Oh, damn it, such a question for Katniss who hates Capitol and everything in it._ Caesar couldn't ask worse. But to my surprise, Katniss focuses on some spot at the main elevated seating and speaks calmly and clearly.

"The lamb stew," she says after a moment. _Phew! That's good enough._ Caesar laughs and the audience too. That's a good sign.

"The one with the dried plums?" asks Caesar. I nod. "Oh, I eat it by the bucketful." He turns sideways to the audience in horror, hand on his stomach. "It doesn't show, does it?" They shout reassurances to him and applaud. That's what I meant about Caesar. He helps you.

"Now, Katniss," he says confidentially, "When you came out in the opening ceremonies, my heart actually stopped. What did you think of that costume?" That's not such a bad question.

"You mean after I got over my fear of being burned alive?" she asks with a nervous smile. Big laugh. A real one from the audience. She's better than Haymitch said.

"Yes. Start then," says Caesar.

"I thought Cinna was brilliant and it was the most gorgeous costume I'd ever seen and I couldn't believe I was wearing it. I can't believe I'm wearing this, either." She lifts up her skirt to spread it out. "I mean, look at it!" The audience _oohs _and _aahs _and I smile a little. Then she twirls around and that's even more amazing. Even I release a quiet „wow".

"Oh, do that again!" says Caesar and so she lifts up her arms and spins around until she stops and catches Caesars hand and giggles a little. I can't even recognize her in that charming lady.

"Don't stop!" he says.

"I have to, I'm dizzy!" she giggles and Caesar puts an arm around her as a true gentleman. "Don't worry, I've got you. Can't have you following in your mentor's footsteps." he says and everyone laughs while the cameras are on Haymitch.

"So, how about that training score. E-le-ven. Give us a hint what happened in there." Caesar asks.

Katniss looks up at the game makers.

"Um . . . all I can say, is I think it was a first." she says. I bet she's right.

"You're killing us," says Caesar as if in actual pain. "Details. Details."

"I'm not supposed to talk about it, right?" she asks looking at the balcony. One of the gamemakers shouts "She's not!" I guess it's the one who fell into the punch bowl.

"Thank you," she says. "Sorry. My lips are sealed." she turns back to Caesar.

"Let's go back then, to the moment they called your sister's name at the reaping," says Caesar. His mood is quieter now. "And you volunteered. Can you tell us about her?"

"Her name's Prim. She's just twelve. And I love her more than anything." she says quietly.

You could hear a pin drop in the City Circle now. Everyone is looking at her with held breath.

"What did she say to you? After the reaping?" Caesar asks.

"She asked me to try really hard to win." The audience is frozen, hanging on her every word.

"And what did you say?" prompts Caesar gently.

"I swore I would." she says quietly.

"I bet you did," says Caesar, giving her a squeeze. The buzzer goes off. "Sorry we're out of time. Best of luck, Katniss Everdeen, tribute from District Twelve." the applause for her is enormous and lasts long after she's seated.

Thank God, she made it well. I'm relieved for her only until the moment when my name is called. I have always imagined the moment when I'll tell her about my love, I always felt nervous about it, but I have never imagined it will be in front of all the Panem.

We start easily with Caesar. I tell my baker's son story and also compare some of the tributes to the breads of their district. The audience loves it.

„What is different in the Capitol than at your home?" Caesar asks. I smile over my idea.

„Well your showers are really weird. First time I took a shower it attacked me with bubbles which smell like roses. Tell me Caesar, do I still smell like roses?" I ask laughing and the audience is laughing out loud too. We have a little bit of fun sniffing each other and making fun of us. The audience is brought down absolutely.

„Okay now, more seriously Peeta." Caesar says and his tone changes into serious „Is there some special girl in district 12 waiting for you?" he smiles at me. Oh this is a perfect start for my love bomb.

„No" I shake my head hesitantly. I catch a glimpse of Haymitch on the main elevated seating and he gives me a slight nod of approval.

"Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what's her name?" says Caesar. My heart starts to beat faster and my hands start to sweat. _Oh man, I'm sure she's gonna kill me for this. She's gonna kill me right here on the stage. She'll shot an arrow right through my eye!_

"Well, there is this one girl. I've had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I'm pretty sure she didn't know I was alive until the reaping." I say, my voice shakes a little and I add a sad shy smile.

Sounds of sympathy from the crowd. Unrequited love they can relate to. That's what we want.

"She has another fellow?" asks Caesar.

"I don't know, but a lot of boys like her," I admit. And it's true. I have no idea if she have something more with Gale.

"So, here's what you do. You win, you go home. She can't turn you down then, eh?" says Caesar encouragingly. I'm losing my nerves, but I have to carry on. So I give him a sad smile again.

"I don't think it's going to work out. Winning . . . won't help in my case," I say hopeless. I feel how my fingers start to shake.

"Why ever not?" says Caesar, confused.

Okay, now I'm really seriously in danger of heart attack. I think my heart will jump out of my chest any moment now.

"B-because . . . because . . . she came here with me." I stammer out and I feel a blush coming to my face and suddenly I look down. Just an old habit. _It's out! She knows!_ I'm scared to look at her, but that's kind of impossible, because her face is on all screens now. Mouth half open in a mix of surprise and protest, magnified on every screen. Then she presses her lips together and looks down at her feet as a pink blush comes to her cheeks. She's angry I just see it in her eyes. When we go out of this stage, she's gonna kill me.

"Oh, that is a piece of bad luck," says Caesar, and there's a real edge of pain in his voice. I guess he didn't expect this. The crowd is murmuring in agreement, a few have even given agonized cries.

"It's not good," I agree and I am really sad now.

"Well, I don't think any of us can blame you. It'd be hard not to fall for that young lady," says Caesar. "She didn't know?"

"Not until now." I shake my head. There is still that blush on her face and for a second she looks up.

"Wouldn't you love to pull her back out here and get a response?" Caesar asks the audience. The crowd screams assent. _No I wouldn't because she is going kill me._

"Sadly, rules are rules, and Katniss Everdeen's time has been spent. Well, best of luck to you, Peeta Mellark, and I think I speak for all of Panem when I say our hearts go with yours." he finishes and dismisses me. I thank them quietly and go back to my seat. One look at Katniss confirms that she's furious.

After the anthem stops, we're supposed to go back to our floors. Katniss is quickly away and in the elevator, so I have no chance to meet her. I ride another one. When my door open, I can't see her, but as I step out, she just arrives in the other elevator.

Before I can do or say anything, she slams her palms into my chest with such a force that it surprises me. I lose my balance and crash into an ugly urn filled with fake flowers. The urn tips and shatters into hundreds of tiny pieces. I land in the shards and I feel a sharp pain in my hands as the pieces of urn cut them. It starts bleeding and I'm a little angry with her.

"What was that for?" I ask offensively. In fact I don't know why I'm asking, I already know the answer.

"You had no right! No right to go saying those things about me!" she shouts. She's really furious. Only her glare intimidates me. Now the elevators open and the whole crew is there, Effie, Haymitch, Cinna, and Portia.

"What's going on?" says Effie, a note of hysteria in her voice. "Did you fall?" she asks me. She and Cinna helps me get up.

"After she shoved me," I say.

Haymitch turns on her. "Shoved him?"

"This was your idea, wasn't it? Turning me into some kind of fool in front of the entire country?" she accuses him angrily.

"It was my idea," I say while pulling spikes of pottery out of my hands. It really hurts. "Haymitch just helped me with it."

"Yes, Haymitch is very helpful. To you!" she screams.

"You _are _a fool," Haymitch says in disgust. "Do you think he hurt you? That boy just gave you something you could never achieve on your own."

"He made me look weak!" she screams again.

"He made you look desirable! And let's face it, you can use all the help you can get in that department. You were about as romantic as dirt until he said he wanted you. Now they all do. You're all they're talking about. The star-crossed lovers from District Twelve!" says Haymitch.

"But we're not star-crossed lovers!" she says angrily.

Haymitch grabs her shoulders and pins her against the wall. "Who cares? It's all a big show. It's all how you're perceived. The most I could say about you after your interview was that you were nice enough, although that in itself was a small miracle. Now I can say you're a heart breaker. Oh, oh, oh, how the boys back home fall longingly at your feet. Which do you think will get you more sponsors?" she shoves his hands away and breathes deeply to calm down I hope.

"He's right, Katniss." Cinna says and puts an arm around her.

"I should have been told, so I didn't look so stupid." she says, but I know better. She doesn't want me. She wants Gale. She's afraid that he will found someone else.

"No, your reaction was perfect. If you'd known, it wouldn't have read as real," says Portia.

"She's just worried about her boyfriend," I say gruffly, tossing away a bloody piece of the urn. I'm angry at her. Or myself? I don't know. I'm just disappointed that she doesn't want me even as a friend.

"I don't have a boyfriend." she says immediately, angrily and so offensively that it surprises me a little. Maybe they are really only friends.

"Whatever," I say controlling my nerves a little more "But I bet he's smart enough to know a bluff

when he sees it. Besides _you _didn't say you loved _me. _So what does it matter?" I say and the disappointment in me is worse and worse. For a long while she's looking at me and thinking.

"After he said he loved me, did you think I could be in love with him, too?" she asks. It seems that she's finally behaving reasonably.

"I did," says Portia. "The way you avoided looking at the cameras, the blush."

They others chime in, agreeing.

"You're golden, sweetheart. You're going to have sponsors lined up around the block," says Haymitch.

"I'm sorry I shoved you." she says to me and she really seems embarrassed and sorry.

"It doesn't matter," I shrug. "Although it's technically illegal." I add.

"Are your hands okay?" She asks carefully looking at them.

"They'll be all right," I say quietly.

"Come on, let's eat," says Haymitch.

We all follow him to the table and take our places. My hands are bleeding too much so Portia takes me away to bandage them. We come back and eat another delicious dinner. Katniss is quiet and she seems she's really regretting shoving me. I get that from the way she looks at me scared and sorry. After she does that like fifth time I give her a smile

„I'll be okay. Really it's nothing" I assure her and her mouth shapes into a sad smile too. Than we watch the interviews in TV.

When the anthem finishes and the screen goes dark, a hush falls on the room. Tomorrow at dawn, we will be roused and prepared for the arena. The actual Games don't start until ten because so many of the Capitol residents rise late. But we must make an early start. There is no telling how far we will travel to the arena that has been prepared for this year's Games.

I know Haymitch and Effie will not be going with us. As soon as they leave here, they'll be at the Games Headquarters, hopefully madly signing up our sponsors, working out a strategy on how and when to deliver the gifts to us. Cinna and Portia will travel with us to the very spot from which we will be launched into the arena. Still final good-byes must be said here. Effie takes both of us by the hand and, with actual tears in her eyes, wishes us well. Thanks us for being the best tributes it has ever been her privilege to sponsor. And then she adds "I wouldn't be at all surprised if I finally get promoted to a decent district next year!" It's perfectly Effieish.

Then she kisses us each on the cheek and hurries out, overcome with either the emotional parting or the possible improvement of her fortunes. Haymitch crosses his arms and looks us both over.

"Any final words of advice?" I ask.

"When the gong sounds, get the hell out of there. You're neither of you up to the blood bath at the Cornucopia. Just clear out, put as much distance as you can between yourselves and the others, and find a source of water," he says. "Got it?"

"And after that?" Katniss asks. I can't miss that her voice shook a little.

"Stay alive," says Haymitch. It's the same advice he gave us on the train, but he's not drunk and laughing this time. And we only nod. What else is there to say?

While Katniss goes to her quarters, Portia informs me when she'll come and where will we go. After that we say goodnight and I head to my quarters too.

I have no chance of sleep. I give up after two hours of lying in bed. All the time I have to think about tomorrow. About the arena, how will it look like? And how the hell will I protect Katniss from being killed? Well I have my plan. Maybe it is a suicide, but it's the best I could think of. I have no chance of fighting the careers so I decide to be allies with them to protect her. I'm determined to run away at the first moment. To avoid the bloodbath as Haymitch said. But then, when the air is clear and the career pack is done, I will come there with my hands up and ask for an alliance. Either they kill me or accept me. I hope for the second. I give up any effort on sleeping, I grab the sketchbook and I go up to the roof. The fresh air and pen in my hand calms me down.

There is a lot of people out on the streets. Singing, cheering, celebrating the games. It's disgusting they can celebrate an execution of twenty-three kids. The air is cold, but fresh and nice in here, so I don't plan to come back to my room. I draw the Capitol for like half an hour, when her voice almost makes me jump.

"You should be getting some sleep." she says. If only I could.

"I didn't want to miss the party. It's for us, after all." I say with a bit of humor and stand up. She comes next to me and looks down over the railing.

„Are they wearing costumes?" she asks quietly.

"Who could tell?" I answer "With all the crazy clothes they wear here. Couldn't sleep, either?"

"Couldn't turn my mind off," she says.

"Thinking about your family?" I ask.

"No, All I can do is wonder about tomorrow. Which is pointless, of course. I really am sorry about your hands." she says with a terribly sad look.

"It doesn't matter, Katniss," I say "I've never been a contender in these Games anyway." I smile.

"That's no way to be thinking," she says a bit angrily to me.

"Why not? It's true. My best hope is to not disgrace myself and..." I hesitate. Should I say it to her?

"And what?" she asks looking at me.

"I don't know how to say it exactly. Only . . . I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?" I ask. She shakes her head. "I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I'm not." I explain it more.

"Do you mean you won't kill anyone?" she asks surprised.

"No, when the time comes, I'm sure I'll kill just like everybody else. I can't go down without a fight. Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to . . . to show the Capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than just a piece in their Games," I say. I don't know if she understands me right.

"But you're not," she says. "None of us are. That's how the Games work."

"Okay, but within that framework, there's still you, there's still me," I insist. "Don't you see?"

"A little. Only . . . no offense, but who cares, Peeta?" she says.

"I do. I mean, what else am I allowed to care about at this point?" I ask angrily. I look her in the eyes intently, waiting for her answer. She takes a step back.

"Care about what Haymitch said. About staying alive." she says and I'm surprised by the soft tone of her voice and worries in her eyes. Looks like she almost cares about me.

I smile at her sadly. "Okay. Thanks for the tip, sweetheart." I don't know why did I use Haymitch's endearment for her, but I like it.

"Look, if you want to spend the last hours of your life planning some noble death in the arena, that's your choice. I want to spend mine in District Twelve."

"Wouldn't surprise me if you do," I say with a smile. I know better than her. I'll do anything to get her back. "Give my mother my best when you make it back, will you?" I joke.

"Count on it," she says, and then she turns back and leaves the roof.

I finish my drawing of Capitol in hour. I plan to give it to Portia. I go back to my room and try to sleep. Well I don't very much. I keep waking up and looking at the clock. How many hours of my life I still have? Who knows, but I bet it won't be more than days.


	4. Let The 74th Games Begin!

Chapter 4: Let the 74th Games begin!

I'm already up, when Portia knocks on the door. In fact I've been pacing around my quarters already for an hour. I don't know what to do. Horrible images from old hunger games are running through my head. Bloodthirsty careers, Gamemakers and their dangerous traps and deadly mutts of different kinds. To be honest Portia's coming is a relief because it busies my mind. She comes in with a worried tragic face.

„How are you feeling?" she asks softly.

„I don't know Portia. Like a pig before a slaughter." I give her a nervous grin. She hugs me tight and it's kind of comforting to have someone to hold onto. Not to be alone.

„I wanted to give you this." I hand her my drawing. „So you could look at the Capitol sunset whenever you want." I give her a smile. She just hugs me again and I see a single tear running down her cheek.

She leads me to the roof and we're transported into a hovercraft. They place a tracker into my forearm and we're seated and transported towards the arena. Through the window, I see my last look at the Capitol from the bird perspective. After some time the windows grow black as we are entering the arena area.

In half an hour, we're in a special quarters just for me. I dress up into arena clothes, which is undergarments, simple tawny pants, light green shirt, sturdy brown belt, thin hooded black jacket that falls to my thighs and soft leather boots.

Then we just sit and wait. I play with the leather bracelet from Delly nervously, while Portia finally speaks.

„What is your plan?" and she looks at me intently.

„Well as Haymitch said, run from the bloodbath and find water first. Then I'll see." she doesn't say anything just stares at me with a knowing look.

„Don't try to fool me Peeta. I know that you truly love her, so what will you do?" she asks again. What does it matter I may be dead in ten minutes.

„I plan to run from the bloodbath, but only into the edge of the forest or whatever will be there. Out of sight. When the bath is over, I'll go to the Careers pack and try to join them. That's the only option for me. I will be able to keep them away from Katniss and I'll have easy food and water. If I would be on my own I doubt I could find much food." I finish and lock my eyes on her. I see only sadness in her eyes, but she doesn't try to change my mind. She just nods sadly.

„I knew you would do something like that. I knew you would sacrifice yourself for her, you're just that kind of person I guess." she says sadly.

„Well then the only thing left is to wish you luck, because you will need it honey. I hope your plan will work and if you die, let all of the Panem know it is for love." she says and a little smile appears on her face, but then I see two silent tears going down her cheeks. I hug her one last time and then a woman's voice calls me to stand on the plate.

„Good luck Peeta Mellark. Fight for your love." is the last thing I hear from Portia. And then a glass cylinder is lowering around me and the last thing I see before the cylinder rise is her tears, now streaming down silently on her face. For maybe fifteen seconds, I'm in darkness and then I can feel the metal plate pushing me out of the cylinder, into the open air. For a moment, my eyes are dazzled by the bright sunlight and I'm conscious only of a strong wind with the smell of something familiar from district 12. Pines I would guess. If I'm right that's good for Katniss. Then I hear the legendary announcer, Claudius Templesmith, as his voice booms all around me.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games begin!"

Now we have sixty seconds to prepare for fight. Or prepare for run in my case. In the middle of the circle made of tributes, there is the Cornucopia, a giant golden horn shaped like a cone with a curved tail, the mouth of which is at least twenty feet high, spilling over with the things that will give us life here in the arena. Food, containers of water, weapons, medicine, garments, fire starters. Strewn around the Cornucopia are other supplies, their value decreasing the farther they are from the horn.

I search the tributes for Katniss. She's five tributes away to the left. And the moment I see her, I know I'm in trouble. Her eyes are locked on something in the Cornucopia. I even don't have to look for it for long. It's a long silver bow, and same color quiver lying in the entrance. She seems like she's deciding very hard. But right now, she positions her legs into a running position. To my horror it's not towards the forest, but towards the Cornucopia. Her eyes still locked on the bow. I keep staring at her and I don't know what to do. She absolutely spoils my plans. When suddenly she turns her head and looks directly at me. This is my chance, so I don't break our eye contact and I shake my head as much as I can to show her that she should not do that. She seems confused and right in that moment a gong rings out.

I don't even hesitate and run to the woods, but I'm turning my head where Katniss is going. She runs towards the cornucopia, picks up bread and something else and runs towards an orange backpack. Some boy reaches it first. For a while they are fighting for it and then the boy is killed by a girl from 2. I think her name is Clove. Katniss is confused, but as soon as she notices her, she turns and runs as fast as she can in direction of the forest. Clove throws a knife towards her and that's when my heart almost stops. But Katniss rises her backpack up to cover her head and it dives into it. She keeps running and disappears in the forest. I let out my breath finally and watch the bloodbath by the Cornucopia from my hiding place in a bushes on the edge of the forest.

I decide to stay in the forest until the late afternoon. Until the careers pack will settle down. They seem they want to make a camp right here by the cornucopia and lake. They move all the supplies from Cornucopia and make a big pile by the lake. Splitting different things between themselves and choosing their favorite weapons. For now, there is six of them.

From district one it's Marvel and Glimmer. Marvel is an average sized boy, he's best with spears and he also likes to make traps for people. Glimmer is that sexy blonde, she isn't good at something in particular, but she's good in combat. The weapon she chose is a bow. Bow which should be in Katniss's hands, because I'm sure she can't compare with her.

Then there are tributes from district 2. I would say that those would be worse. Cato is a huge fellow, with big muscles and I'm sure he's able to break your neck spine in just one move. His strength gives him advantage in hand combat of course, but his favorite weapon is a sword. Right now he's holding a big one with shiny silver blade. The girl tribute from 2 is Clove. Very dangerous both in close and far fight. She is an expert about knifes. If she throws, it never misses its target. She made and impressive collection of all knives she found. They are all attached to her jacket, waiting for her victims.

Then the fifth member of the careers pack is a boy from 3. His name is Ted and I don't know how he got into the careers pack. He wasn't excelling in combat or weapons and his rating was six. He must have some secret skill, which persuaded the careers to keep him. And finally there is one more girl from district 4. Her name is Mary and I don't know her very much. She's having a spare and knife now.

The sun is slowly coming to the horizon and I decide to start my plan. I feel in terror now. Showing up at careers camp with no weapon, begging for alliance is a dangerous thing to do. The best I can hope for is a quick death if they won't let me in. I come as close to their camp as I dare and listen for a while.

„We'll start hunting them down at twilight. It's better at night. The dummies will make a fire, which is a good way to find them. And the others has to sleep somewhere so night is best." says Cato and the others agree with him. I know I won't have another chance. It's now or never. So I take a deep breath and step into the meadow, into the light of the setting sun with my hands up.

„I want to be your ally." I say clearly and don't move so I would not provoke them to fight.

At first I feel a sharp pain on my left arm where Clove's knife made a long scratch. In the next second Cato jumps on me and knocks me to the ground. My ankle twists a little and I feel sharp pain in it. I get two punches into my mouth until one of the girls speaks.

„Wait Cato!" she shouts. He stops punching me, but I still remain pinned on the ground.

„Let him speak" she says in a quiet voice. Than Cato releases me and I stand up in front of them.

„What can you offer in exchange of being an ally?" Clove asks slyly and eyes me from ankle to head.

„Well I'm a good fighter. I can use knife well." I say and hope I don't sound too silly.

„Well we have Clove for that, what else do you have?" Cato asks and stands next to Clove with a mocking smile.

„I know how to find her." I say with a calm clear voice. And immediately I see a spark of interest in Cato's eyes. For a long moment he looks me in the eyes intently and I don't dare to blink. Finally he blinks and smiles.

„So you are saying you can find her?"

„Well I know her well, I know how she thinks and I can recognize her snares and tracks." I lie of course. I have no idea about snares and tracks, but I guess no one else will try to hunt animals in here than Katniss. So any snare we find should be hers.

„Hmmm" Cato says again and examines me closely. He looks at my muscles and my body and then smiles at me.

„Then Welcome in the Career pack." he says with a pleased smile „Loverboy!" he adds and I guess I won't get rid of this nickname.

„Wait a moment!" Clove says and she looks me in the eyes examining.

„How come that you want to help us with killing her?" she says suspiciously and I see a surprise on Cato's face behind her. He didn't think about that.

„Didn't you said that you love her?" she hisses „Don't you have a crush on her for ever?" and she still keeps looking me in the eyes. This is the moment when I can't let them know my plans. I keep my stone face and use my most cold voice.

„I was playing it all. I only wanted to mess her up before the Games. I wanted to make her weak, because she's one of the most dangerous enemies. Trust me, she knows how to hide well and she knows how to hunt animals so she would be a tough one to kill." I say and keep my voice calm and cold. „If you don't believe me, I will happily kill her myself when we find her." I say finally hoping that I will convince them.

„Okay, you help us find her and kill her and you can be our ally." says Cato. „But if you even try to help her somehow or if you try to do something against us." he threats me „You're dead, deal?!" he says and locks on my eyes.

„Deal." I say calmly without a blink. I can't believe how lucky I am. I got into the careers pack and I'm not even good with weapons. I got a scratch, few bruises and twisted my ankle a little, but that's nothing.

„Here is a knife." Cato says and gives me a big hunting knife. „If you want any other weapon, pick whatever you want." and he points towards the huge pile of weapons. I keep the knife and pick up a spear, which is one of the weapons I handled well enough. They give me a bottle of water and some food

At twilight we head to the forest hunting down the other tributes. We walk through the forest all night but we're not very lucky to find any other tributes. I guess they are all hiding. No sign of Katniss too. I'm sure she's up on some tree now. Watching everyone and everything from the high and safe nest in the trees. I absentmindedly look up into the trees looking for some sign of her. But in this dark I have no chance of seeing her.

„Oh wait!" Glimmer whispers towards us. „Look! There!" she points down the valley, towards a little clearing and a clump of few willows with their long branches falling down full of leaves. _That would be a perfect tree for hiding._ I hear in my head and I think of Katniss.

On the clearing, there is a little fire. Shining through the darkness, spotting a tribute sitting by it and warming her hands. Yes it is a girl, because I can see her long hair around her back. But I'm sure it's not Katniss, because she is much smaller, her hair would be in braid and above all she's not that damn stupid to set a fire at night. So we slowly approach this unlucky girl, while Glimmer steps into the fire light as first. Holding a long creepy knife and smiling at that poor girl. As she catches the sight of us, she screams and jumps up, but she has really no chance to escape us, when we're around her in circle.

„No! Please don't kill me!" she pleads with cries, but Glimmer has no mercy with her and dives her long knife into her belly. The girl collapses to the ground and remains shaking there in agony, while our pack continues ahead and all of the careers laugh. I do not though.

„Twelve down, eleven to go!" Glimmer exclaims and she laughs again. Marvel stops few yards from the clump of willows.

"Shouldn't we have heard a cannon by now?" he says.

"I'd say yes. Nothing to prevent them from going in immediately." Cato agrees.

"Unless she isn't dead." Marvel says again.

"She's dead. I stuck her myself." Glimmer says offended.

"Then where's the cannon?" Cato argues.

"Someone should go back. Make sure the job's done." Clove comes in.

"Yeah, we don't want to have to track her down twice." Cato agrees.

"I said she's dead!" Glimmer argues.

This continues for another few seconds until I get angry with them.

"We're wasting time! I'll go, finish her and let's move on!" I say angrily.

"Go on, then, Lover Boy," says Cato. "See for yourself." he adds and I go back there.

When I'm back at the clearing, the girl is still lying there, her hands holding her belly, where blood is flooding out, her body shaking in agony. I can see that she's still alive. Her eyes are open and they look at me desperately, full of fear and pain and quiet cries escape from her mouth. It's a terrible sight. I never wanted to do something like this, but I don't have any other choice here in the arena. If I want Katniss to survive this, I have to get over this.

„I'm sorry." I whisper to her and I stroke her hair trying to calm her. „I promise it'll be quick and you'll be on a better place soon." I say and meet her scared brown eyes, which are full of tears.

„Please" she pleads with hoarse voice and looks at me desperately. I know what she's asking me for. Kill me please. End my agony. And so I do. I dive my knife right in the place where her heart should be and she breathes out her last shaky breath. My hands are shaking as I look at her lifeless body. I killed her. I close her eyes with my shaking fingers, which are now strained by blood and I lay her down on the ground. Then I stand up and go back to the rest of the careers so they would not get suspicious. In my head I still think about what I've just done. I've murdered and innocent girl. Her blood is still on my hands and even though I will clean it, it will never truly be gone. Not from my mind.

„Was she dead?" Cato asks.

„No" I say and I see Glimmer's angry face „But she is now." as a proof the canon fires right in that moment.

„Ready to move on?" I ask and they all start to walk ahead again.

We move through the forest for the next two days, but we're unsuccessful. In the afternoon of the second day, we arrive back to the lake to refill our supplies and with twilight, we head to the forest again.

The third night, we travel through the forest, looking for tributes, but again we're unsuccessful. I'm afraid that it must be boring for the audience. And in such cases Gamemakers usually use some traps or mutts to make it interesting or to put the tributes together to fight. My fear is confirmed, when a huge walls of fire grow around us, just in one quick moment. In a few minutes, there is a thick smoke in the air and we hardly keep together. We try to run away from the fire, but it seems impossible. On some places, they are fireballs flying against us. I get a few burns on my chest and arms, but luckily I escape all the fireballs. Marvel is not so lucky and gets one near his arm, so he ends up with a really bad burn. We stumble through the forest in the thick smoke and finally we somehow get out of it. We rest a little through the morning and during the afternoon we continue walking through the forest, when it's closing to dawn, we're finally lucky to find a tribute. And to my horror it's Katniss. In one moment, we find a pond and we want to cool our burns so we go towards it. And in the next moment Marvel is calling excited.

„There she is! We found her!" pointing at the other side of the pond.

There I see Katniss, laying against a stone, with her leg prompt into the water. I guess she's burnt. She confirms that when she quickly jumps up and runs away. She limbs badly and with that she doesn't have much chance to run away. All the careers run immediately of course, in attempt to catch her.

When we catch up with her, she's climbing a tree. By the painful sounds she's making I guess it's not easy for her, but she's already like twenty feet up. For a moment we all stop, staring at each other. I look at her just once and then look down. I don't want to know how angry she will be when she gets to know that I'm with them.

„How's everything with you?" she calls down cheerfully.

"Well enough," says Cato. "Yourself?"

"It's been a bit warm for my taste," she says "The air's better up here. Why don't you come on up?"

"Think I will," says Cato again and he extends his arms towards the tree to start climbing.

"Here, take this, Cato," says Glimmer and she hands him the bow and arrows. I have to do something so I would not look up, so I polish my knife with my shirt. I just can't look at her now. They would see that I still love her.

"No," says Cato, pushing away the bow. "I'll do better with my sword." and he pulls out his short and heavy weapon. I'm scared, but I hope he won't be able to get as high as Katniss. As he starts to climb, so does Katniss and I must admit that even when she's injured, she's like a squirrel and in a while she's another twenty feet higher. Just in that moment a branch brakes under Cato and he falls down. He stands up angry and swearing.

After that Glimmer tries to climb the tree too, but she's too inexperienced and she gives it up finally. She tries to shoot Katniss with her bow, but she's unsuccessful. Her arrows don't find Katniss. One of them lodges near Katniss, but she only takes it and waves it over her head to tease us. If it would be Katniss who would be holding the bow, we would be all dead in a minute.

The others start to think up, how we can get to her or get her down or in what way could we kill her. The only thing which crosses my mind is waiting for the morning.

"Oh, let her stay up there. It's not like she's going anywhere. We'll deal with her in the morning." I say harshly and put a lot of effort not to look up at her. I'm sure they would see my worries about her in my face. Cato gives me a long intent look.

„Okay, let's camp here. We'll kill her in the morning" he says finally „Somebody make a fire." he orders.

So we camp here for the night and in the morning, Katniss will be in a biggest danger in here. Trapped on a tree with a career pack under her. I guess my membership in the careers pack will not last for long now. All of us lie in our sleeping bags around the fire. I don't lie very close to them though. I don't trust them. I can feel, that they don't entirely trust me too. Especially Cato and Clove.

After some time, the anthem plays to tell us that no one died today. I can't help but wonder if Katniss's face will be there tomorrow. _No I won' let that happen._ I assure myself and I lie down. Looking up into the branches where Katniss is, I decide I won't sleep tonight. I have to be at bay if the careers want to do something. We take turns in having watch all night and sometimes I doze off a little. I'm woken up, when Cato wakes up Glimmer for her watch. It has to be close to the dawn. She sits against the trunk, but after few minutes, I see how she dozes off. I open my eyes and look up. The darkness is getting lighter and I can see further than before. Suddenly I hear a quiet ruffle in the leaves. Like a little squirrel or something. Then I see something moving up there. If it is Katniss, I'm sure she's up to something. I quietly attach my knife to my belt and get my legs out of the sleeping bag. To my luck no career wakes up. Then I hear a faraway noise like sawing and in a few seconds a loud breaking and noise of falling branch startles me. I jump up and away from the tree just in the moment when a branch with a tracker-jacker nest lands in the middle of the careers. I don't wait anymore and start running away. Even though I get a few stings and my head is suddenly woozy.

„To the lake! To the lake!" Cato screams and he, Clove and Marvel run off. Glimmer and Mary are not so lucky. I run towards the lake. As I do, I see Glimmer trying to shoot the tracker-jackers with her bow and I see Mary running in the other direction.

They're all ahead of me, when I remember Katniss. What if she get some stings, what if she's fighting Mary or Glimmer now? I quietly turn and go back. I hear someone, rushing on the ground. When I arrive, my spear ready to fly and save Katniss, I'm surprised that it is her, who's kneeling next to Glimmer's ugly swollen body, with a bow in her hand and an arrow which she is unable to use obviously. I see stings on her body too so she must have been confused by the venom too. Okay I'm already dead, so why not to reveal my secret.

"What are you still doing here?" I hiss at her. I know the others will be here soon, I can hear their calls.

"Are you mad?" I hiss again. She seems like she's totally out of her mind so I prod her with the shaft of the spear now. "Get up! Get up!" I give up on hissing „Run! Get away from here!" I yell at her so she would move. She gives me one unbelieving and confused look and she finally runs, just in the moment, when I hear a rush of leaves behind me and Cato makes his way through the bushes. I'm surely dead now, but I will fight until the end. I get my knife into my hand securely. Even though I start to feel dizzy and my vision is strange, I will fight. I have to give Katniss some time to run away.

„So Lover Boy." Cato hisses. „I knew you're lying. I knew you just wanted to save her!" His eyes are burning into me and I just try to hold the ground under my feet as I start to see strange things like orange dots on his face. He runs towards me and I fight as well as I can in this state. I cut his arm badly with my knife and I also cut his face. But in response, he dives his sword into my right tight. The pain is agonizing. When he pulls out the sword, I see how he does a few steps back and falls down unconsciousness. I try to move away as far as I can. I stabber and crawl over trunks and bushes, finally I end up in the middle of some bushes. I hear a water streaming somewhere near and that's the last thing I remember before I pass out.

When I wake up, it's day. Afternoon I would guess. I feel weak. Almost all my body hurts. It's either burns, or stings or my stabbed leg. When I examine it, my hopes for surviving are melting away. The blood is not running out of it, but it is really bad. I can see a bone in there! Somehow I get towards the creek and drink as much as I can. In my pocket I'm lucky enough to find some crackers and dried meat. I eat the meat for now and think about what should I do. In this state I'm not able to fight with anyone. If I could I would try to find Katniss, but that's out of question too. I can't walk far and she could be anywhere. The only plan I get is to hide. And I find a good place for that right on a bank of the creek. Who would look for me in there? If I do my camouflage well, the only way how they could find me is stepping on me. So I start with my arms, coloring them with mud and leaves. Than I lie down into the stream bank and start to put mud over me too. I dive plants into the mud so it would look more real. I also put a lot of mud on my face. When my body is covered, I dive my head into the cold mud and I dive my hands in too. I think I'll be okay for some time. If I won't die because of the wound. As the night comes, I can't help falling asleep, because I feel so tired and so weak.

When I wake up again, I find out that it is morning. I can't do anything else then lie in here. I can't move much, because every move is painful for me. _If only Katniss would go by_. I think in my head. But she doesn't. An hour goes by and nothing happens. And then... _Booom!_

There is a huge explosion somewhere further away, but I know exactly what it is. The mines around the careers supplies. Ted has done some kind of trap around the supplies. Someone had to step on those mines and everything blew up. I'm anxious. What if it was Katniss? But why would she do that? She can hunt and she doesn't need their supplies. After a few minutes I hear a canon. Another tribute dead. Well I can't do anything. Just hope it was not her. The forest around me seems quiet. The only sound I hear is the music of the birds, water flowing by and leaves in the wind. _It won't be so bad to die like this. _I think for myself. I start to doze off again, while listening to this nature lullaby. I wake up suddenly and it must be late afternoon, because the shadows are pretty long. I'm startled by a heart piercing child's scream. I bet this was Rue if I count who else is left. I guess the careers have found her then. But then there is another cry which surprises me. Even though it is far away I can recognize what is she screaming.

„Katniss! Katniss! Help me!" My insides are turning around when I hear it. It is terrible just to hear it and not be able to do anything. And then I hear another scream.

„Rue! Rue, I'm coming!" that's Katniss for sure.

So she's alive. That's such a relief... But right now, she's running towards screaming Rue and she's screaming all the way too. Not a good idea. But again I can't do anything, just wait if I hear a canon. Nothing. Just silence for a few minutes and I'm like going to get a heart attack not knowing what's happening. I feel a terrible pressure on my chest and I'm not sure if I'm still breathing enough. And then I hear a canon. _Please don't be Katniss. Please don't be Katniss. _I whisper quietly to myself. After a few minutes I hear another canon and my heart sinks. Two canons in such a short time. Something really bad happened and I don't know who died. I will get to know in the evening I guess. For some reason I'm not able to stay awake for long and I doze off again.

I end up in a nightmare, where I find Katniss in Careers hands. They cut her slowly with knives and she's screaming and I can't help her. I can just watch. I wake up suddenly and I'm confused for a moment until I realize where I am. Just in that moment an anthem plays and I expectantly look at the sky. My heart is beating fast and loud and I hold my breath. As first there is a picture of Marvel. That's good. One Career gone. Second face is Ted. And the third face on the sky is Rue. That's sad, but I'm happy I didn't see her dying. It must have been terrible, only to hear her screams was enough. I think of Katniss. So she's alive. She was probably late to save Rue, but she at least killed Marvel. And now she's alone and I'm sure Rue's death has depressed her even though she would not admit it.

The day after that is nothing interesting. I feel like I'm losing my consciousness, because I doze off so often. But in the evening I'm startled and woken up by trumpets announcing something important.

„Attention, tributes, attention! There has been a rule change. From now, two tributes can be crowned as victors, if they both originate from the same district." it's voice of Claudius Templesmith and it surprises me what he says. I don't remember a time when there would be a rule change like this. Then it hits me. It must be because of me and Katniss. They want us to get together and give them some love material. _Oh, I hope she'll find me._ I wish and with that in my head, I doze off again.

In the morning I feel even worse than I did yesterday. I'm so weak I doubt I could move my arm. Not even talking about sitting or standing up. Just from the early hours I feel very hot, I don't know if it is the sun or fever. I guess both.

Suddenly I hear something and I open my eyes slightly. And to my shock I see Katniss. She still some distance from me and she's examining something on a boulder by the creek. Is she looking for me? She touches it with a finger and seems to track something to other boulders by the creek towards me. It's surely my blood. She's looking around, but she doesn't see me. I guess I did my job well then. After a while she looks around, seems hopeless so she calls my name twice in a hushed voice. Mockingjays start to sing her calling and she seems annoyed by that so she doesn't call anymore. That's when I finally decided to help her.

„You here to finish me off, sweetheart?" I call as loud as I can. In my current state that is just loud enough for her to hear me. She whips around in my direction, but she still can't see me. I close my eyes and mouth so I'm invisible and wait.

"Peeta?" she whispers. "Where are you? Peeta?" she creeps along the bank and she's so close now I could catch her ankle if I would have enough strength.

"Well, don't step on me." I croak and I can feel how she jumps back. Then I finally open my eyes and I see her over me. With face full of amazement, which seems so funny, that I can't help but smile wide. _Oh, I'm so happy she's still alive._

"Close your eyes again," she orders me. I do and for a moment there's silence. Then she's laughing quietly and she kneels next to me.

"I guess all those hours decorating cakes paid off." she says with a smile.

"Yes, frosting. The final defense from dying." I smile back at her.

"You're not going to die," she tells me firmly

"Says who?" I ask weakly

"Says me. We're on the same team now, you know," she says

"So, I heard. Nice of you to find what's left of me." I say and she gives me some water to drink.

"Did Cato cut you?" she asks, looking worried.

"Left leg. Up high," I say.

"Let's get you in the stream, wash you off so I can see what kind of wounds you've got," she says and immediately I see her mother in her. A healer.

"Lean down a minute first," I say before she does anything else "Need to tell you something."

She leans down and puts her soft and beautiful ear right over my lips. So close I could kiss it and as I whisper my lips touch it.

"Remember, we're madly in love, so it's all right to kiss me anytime you feel like it." I mean it as a joke partly, but I also mean it seriously. We should continue in this if we want to win. She jerks up and starts laughing.

"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind." she says with a smile.

But all the fun is over, when she wants to get me out of the bank and into the stream. I'm so weak I can hardly lift my arm, not speaking about moving my entire body. So my best effort is not to resist while she moves me. I'm really trying to keep my pain in and not to scream, but sometimes it's impossible and a sharp cry escapes my mouth. It seems that the mud and these plants don't want to let me go and she has to pull me out with all her strength. That is agonizing for me, firstly, because she's pulling me by my arms, where the burns and stings are, but most of the pain comes from the leg. When she pulls me it feels, like it will tear away from my body. I can grit my teeth as much as I want, but I can't stop tears of pain coming down from my eyes and I can't keep those terrible cries in me. I'm relieved when I'm finally lying out of the bank and breathing heavily. I feel a little dizzy too.

"Look, Peeta, I'm going to roll you into the stream. It's very shallow here, okay?" she says

"Excellent," I answer through my gritted teeth and I close my eyes to prepare for the pain which will surely come. I keep saying myself that it's worth it.

„On three" she crouches next to me and I grit my teeth again „One, two, three!"

As she rolls me a sharp pain goes from my leg through all my body into my spine. I can't stop the scream coming from my mouth and she stops after that.

"Okay, change of plans. I'm not going to put you all the way in," she tells me and I can hear worries in her voice.

"No more rolling?" I asked with relief.

"That's all done. Let's get you cleaned up. Keep an eye on the woods for me, okay?" she says and looks at me with her worried eyes.

She looks at me and seems to be deciding where to start. She frowns for a moment and then she goes for her water bottles. She props them against rocks in the stream so that two are always filling while she pours the third over my body. It takes a while, until she finally gets rid of enough mud to find my clothes. She gently unzips the jacket, unbuttons the shirt and takes them off me. She has to cut the undershirt away with a knife and drench me again to work it loose. She examines my injuries in my upper body. The burn across my chest and the stings.

„Okay I will do something with this first." she touches my chest „and then I will continue down on your legs okay?" she says and looks at me.

As she looks at me I see how brave she is. Her voice is calm, her hands are steady, she has a calm face, but her eyes betray her. I see worries there and I'm sure she wants to avoid my injured leg as long as she can. So she props me against a boulder and washes the rest of the mud and dirt from my chest and arms. Her hands are so soft and careful. I could easily get used to their touching.

Firstly she treats my stings. She chews some leaves as a medicine for it. It seems funny to me, but I trust her. It is really painful when she digs the lumps out, but the moment she applies the leaves I sigh in relief. When this is done, she leaves me for a while and washes my muddy clothes. I close my eyes and feel so tired and weak that I would like to sleep. Her cold hand on my chest startles me and I open my eyes. She's applying some cream at my burn and it is so relieving that I moan. But her hand stops on my chest for a while and her forehead winces at it. She goes away, digging something in a little box and then brings me some pills.

"Swallow these," she tells me and I don't object not even asking what it is

"You must be hungry." she adds looking at me.

"Not really. It's funny, I haven't been hungry for days," I say and it's true.

She offers me a groosling, but I turn it away because I don't have any appetite. She scowls at me.

"Peeta, we need to get some food in you," she insists with worried look.

"It'll just come right back up," I argue, but she's stubborn and in the end I agree to eat a few bits of dried apple.

"Thanks. I'm much better, really. Can I sleep now, Katniss?" I ask. I really feel awful now. All that pain and heat.

"Soon," she promises "I need to look at your leg first." but she doesn't seem very eager about this job. I don't blame her, I guess it will be a pretty mess. Gently, she pulls my boots off, then my socks and in the end, she very carefully pulls even my pants off. Even though I'm half dead I realize one thing.

_Katniss Everdeen is undressing me! I'm lying almost naked in front of her!_ But my enthusiasm doesn't last very long.

There it is. The deep inflamed gash oozing both blood and pus. The swelling of the leg is bad and the smell of festering flesh is terrible. I watch Katniss closely. As she looks at it, I see the panic in her eyes and I see how her hands shake slightly. For a while we're just silent.

"Pretty awful, huh?" I say and still watch her closely. She takes a deep breath to calm down.

"So-so." she shrugs, trying to convince me it's okay. "You should see some of the people they bring my mother from the mines." I'm not eating that up with that panic in her eyes.

"First thing is to clean it well." she says and I stay calmly laying on the ground, letting her do anything she thinks is good for my wound. She puts some plastic square under my leg and washes it all over. She treats my burns and one more sting and then looks at the gash again. I can't miss the panic and hopeless look of her eyes.

"Why don't we give it some air and then..." she trails off. I'm really sorry that I'm such a burden for her.

"And then you'll patch it up?" I ask, trying to give her an encouraging smile.

"That's right," she says determinedly "In the meantime, you eat these." she puts a few dried pear halves in my hand and goes back in the stream to wash the rest of my clothes. I force myself to swallow the pears when she's washing it. When she's done she examines the first aid kid and has more and more panicked look in her eyes. I guess it's not very good.

"We're going to have to experiment some," she admits and she can't hide her worries now. She puts some leaves on the wound saying that it helps with infection. Within minutes yellow pus starts to run down my leg. When I look closely at Katniss, I see how hard this is for her. Her eyes are scared and hopeless. And disguised as she looks at the pus. Her face is starting to get some shade of green. I guess she needs some cheering up.

„Katniss?" I say and she looks up at me, trying to look calm. "How about that kiss?" I say with a charming smile. For a second she looks confused and like I'm going crazy and then she bursts out laughing.

„Something wrong?" I ask as innocently as I can.

"I . . . I'm not good at this." she stammers „I'm not my mother. I've no idea what I'm doing and I hate pus," she says finally revealing her true feelings. "Euuuh!" she groans as she changes the leaves for the new ones.

"How do you hunt?" I ask with a smile.

"Trust me. Killing things is much easier than this," she says. "Although for all I know, I am killing you."

"Can you speed it up a little?" I ask because I'm really starting to feel tired and sleepy.

"No. Shut up and eat your pears," she says annoyed.

„You know, ironically, I think in this moment, you would appreciate my little sister more than me. She's the healer not me." she says with a slight smile. „She would know what to do with this." she admits and looks hopeless. I give her a smile.

„I'm glad you're here and not her." I say and that makes her smile a little. She keeps changing my leaves and the pus keeps streaming out. The swelling is smaller so I guess she's doing it well.

"What next, Dr. Everdeen?" I ask to add some humor into this terrible situation.

"Maybe I'll put some of the burn ointment on it. I think it helps with infection anyway. And wrap it up?" she says hesitantly and then she does so. When my wound is wrapped in a fresh bandage, it doesn't look so bad. Maybe she really will heal me. She turns around and looks for something and then hands me a little backpack.

„Here, cover yourself with this and I'll wash your shorts." she says and suddenly she seems shy and avoids my look. A blush comes to her face. I smile.

„Oh I don't care if you see me." I raise my eyebrows at her.

"You're just like the rest of my family," she says annoyed "I care, all right?" she adds and turns her back to me stubbornly.

I just smile over it and do as she says. It takes me a while to get my shorts down, but when they finally are, I throw them into the stream right in front of her.

"You know, you're kind of squeamish for such a lethal person," I say as she beats the shorts clean between two rocks. "I wish I'd let you give Haymitch that shower after all." I smile as I imagine that situation.

"What's he sent you so far?" she changes the topic quickly.

"Not a thing," I say and I'm curious if he kept his word and send something to her "Why, did you get something?"

"Burn medicine," she says quietly. "Oh, and some bread."

"I always knew you were his favorite," I say and smile a little

"Please, he can't stand being in the same room with me," she argues

"Because you're just alike," I mutter and smile again. That's the last thing I say before I doze off, I'm so tired and the sun warms me so nicely, that I can't help it.


	5. Healing

Chapter 5: Healing

"Peeta, we've got to go now." Katniss shakes my shoulder.

"Go?" I'm still half asleep and I can't understand why she says this when I'm not able to walk at all. "Go where?"

"Away from here. Downstream maybe. Somewhere we can hide you until you're stronger," she seems scared and looks around.

I understand her. It's impossible for us to stay here, Cato and Clove would surely find us during the night. So she dresses me up and helps me stand up. The moment I stand on my leg is agonizing, pain pulses through it and I'm not able to get further then fifty yards. I think I'm going to faint soon. Luckily it seems that Katniss notices this and she sits me down. I take deep breathes and try to not vomit all over her from all the pain. Katniss looks around and I can tell that she's trying to find some shelter. After a while her eyes linger on a small cave about twenty yards above the stream.

"Okay Peeta, I think that should be a good shelter, when I add some branches and other camouflage." she says and points in its direction.

It's about twenty feet away and it seems impossible for me to get there. I have no idea how she managed to do it, but finally she got me in there. I'm feeling terrible. I'm shivering even though I feel hot, my heart is beating like crazy and I breathe deeply, not even mentioning the terrible pain in my leg. I think I will not survive this. She prompts me against the rock wall and I wait while she puts some pine needles on the ground. Then she unrolls her sleeping bag, lies me down and tucks me into it. She's so nice to me. She tries to give me some fruit but I feel it would just come back up in a few seconds so I reject it stubbornly. In the end I swallow some medicine for my fever. I observe her as she tries to camouflage the cave entrance by some vines. She's so brave. And even though she tries to hide it from everyone, I know she has a big heart too. Such a big loving heart. I think the camouflage looks well enough, but she tears it down with frustrated groan. I feel so bad that I doubt I will survive this night.

"Katniss," I say. She goes over to me and brushes the hair back from my eyes. That touch of her soft hand is like heaven for me. And that worrying look in her eyes, it seems like she really cares about me.

"Thanks for finding me." I smile weakly.

"You would have found me if you could," she replies, but after a moment her eyes look scared. Maybe she also thinks I will not survive this night. If not I want her to deliver my goodbye.

"Yes. Look, if I don't make it back —" I begin, but she even doesn't let me finish my sentence.

"Don't talk like that. I didn't drain all that pus for nothing," she says angrily and I have to smile over that a little.

"I know. But just in case I don't —" I try, but again, she interrupts me stubbornly.

"No, Peeta, I don't even want to discuss it," She says placing her fingers on my lips. They're so sweet... I would like to kiss them forever if I could.

"But I —" I start again, but that only makes her angrier. To my shock she leans forward and places her lips right on mine to stop me from speaking. I'm so shocked, that my eyes stay open and I can see how hers close and how soft her face expression is. _Katniss Everdeen is kissing me on my lips! And on her own!_ I can't believe this. Her lips are cold and soft like silk and kind of sweet. I love them. And then she breaks away and pulls the edge of her sleeping bag around me. I'm so taken aback, that I'm not able to speak. Then she gives me an intent look. Her beautiful silver eyes stare into my eyes unwilling to blink. I see a determined look in there. She's determined to keep me alive.

"You're not going to die. I forbid it. All right?" she says stubbornly, but softly. Can I resist this request from such a beautiful eyes? No I couldn't.

"All right," I whisper and close my eyes calmly. Dreaming about her lips being on mine again. And I doze off like that. I don't know how long have I been sleeping, but I'm startled when I wake up, because her lips are touching mine again. I snap my eyes open and it is really her. Sitting by my side with a smile. Oh I could die right here and now and be happy that this was the last moment of my life. I'm wearing that idiotic smile again. Will I ever stop doing that?!

"Peeta, look what Haymitch has sent you." she says with a strangely happy voice. Then she presents me a pot full of broth. _Well good luck with that, sweetheart._ _If you'll get that in me and make it stay there, it would be a miracle._

She's really patient with me. She coaxes me, begs me, she even tries to threaten me. But only the smell of that broth makes my stomach turn and I'm sure if I will eat it, it would do nothing good in me.

„Peeta, come on." she says desperately. I guess she's starting to be annoyed.

„You need to eat this!" she insists angrily.

„It will be okay, you'll see. It will help you to get stronger." she promises with desperate eyes. I'm still not convinced. She looks at me angrily for a while and then her look changes into something else. Something tells me that she has some other idea. A mischievous smile appears on her face and in her eyes. She leans closer to me, so close that our noses are just inches apart. Will she kiss me again? She looks at me intently, with a mischievous smile.

„If you will eat that broth, my kiss will be your reward." she says in a seductive whisper. Her braid is tickling me on my face and I can smell her beautiful scent of pines. I look her in the eyes. She really means it? She seems like she does. Then she sits back up and looks at me with the broth in her hands.

„So?" she asks with raised eyebrows and a smile on her face.

She obviously knows how to persuade me. Her lips are the only reason I could fight with this. So I half sit up and sigh, while a victorious smile appears on her face. But I won't give up so easily. After every few spoons, I reject to eat more until she gives me a kiss. So finally I get ten kisses in exchange of eating the pot of broth. I think it was a good trade. And her lips are so good that I don't want anything else. She was right, the broth has made me feel better and a little stronger too I guess. I lie back down and doze off quickly, because I still feel tired.

I wake up sometimes for a moment and I always open my eyes to see if Katniss is still there. First time I wake up, she's looking out of the cave and going to the stream, second time, it is getting darker outside and she's sitting at the entrance with her bow and quiver ready. I feel weaker. And cold, I'm shivering, but I think it is from my fever. Next time I wake up, she's half sitting next to me in the sleeping bag, her body is pressed against mine and she inspects me with a worried look. I feel worse. She's saying something, but I'm kind of woozy and her words don't make much sense. She goes out for a while and comes with a bottle of cold water. She wets a bandage and puts it on my forehead carefully. At first I'm startled, because it's like freezing, but after a moment it feels so relieving that I close my eyes and let her do whatever she wants with me. I wake up several times during the night and she's always there, examining me, pressing the bandage to my forehead and face, worries in her eyes, but comforting smile on her face. She tries to tell me „You'll be all right. I won't let you die." and I'm sure she'll do everything to keep me alive.

When I wake up in the morning, I feel so much better. The fever is probably broken and my leg is not so painful now. I open my eyes to smile at Katniss, but she's not sitting next to me now. I look around and find out that she's not here. What if something happen to her? What if she's been injured? What if Cato and Clove killed her? I have to find out. I'm struggling a lot to get out of the sleeping bag and I'm just trying to sit up, when she comes in. _ Oh, thank God, she's okay._

"I woke up and you were gone," I say a little angrily "I was worried about you."

She laughs while she comes to me and lies me back down.

"You were worried about me? Have you taken a look at yourself lately?" she asks with amused sparkles in her eyes. I like her when she's smiling.

"I thought Cato and Clove might have found you. They like to hunt at night," I say seriously.

"Clove? Which one is that?" she asks.

"The girl from District Two. She's still alive, right?" I ask.

"Yes, there's just them and us and Thresh and Foxface," she says. Foxface? Who's that? "That's what I nicknamed the girl from Five. How do you feel?" she asks concerned look in her eyes.

"Better than yesterday. This is an enormous improvement over the mud," I say and give her a charming smile "Clean clothes and medicine and a sleeping bag..." I hesitate, but finally I decide to continue „ . . . and you."

She smiles slightly and reaches out with her hand. Caressing my cheek. It's so soft and beautiful. And it smells like berries. I catch it, stroke it tenderly and press it against my lips. It's so sweet. I can almost feel the taste of berries she was probably picking out there. I close my eyes and wish it could stay like this forever. But then she softly takes her hand back and I open my eyes to look at her sadly.

"No more kisses for you until you've eaten," she says strictly and I know she means it. I feel a little better so I can swallow the mashed berries she made. It's refreshing with that cold water. After that she offers me a groosling too, but I feel too full to eat it. When I look at her she looks tired and only now I realize that she had to be up all night.

"You didn't sleep," I say.

"I'm all right," she says bravely, but I'm not eating that up. She needs to sleep.

"Sleep now. I'll keep watch. I'll wake you if anything happens," I say, but she still hesitates. "Katniss, you can't stay up forever." I persuade her. And after a moment she finally agrees that I'm right.

"All right," she says "But just for a few hours. Then you wake me." she threatens me.

Then she smooths the sleeping bag on the ground, lays on it, but she still clutches her bow in one of her hands. I sit beside her, leaning against the wall, stretch my injured leg in front of me so I would have a good view over the entrance. She still seems worried though.

"Go to sleep," I say softly and smile at her.

If I could sing well, I would sing her a lullaby, but if I would do that I'm afraid she would run away. But I do something else. I take all my courage, extend my hand and brush loose strands of her hair from her face. She closes her eyes and as I continue to stroke her hair, she smiles slightly as she dozes off. She looks entirely different asleep. Her usual scowl is replaced by a slight smile and she looks calm which is surprising if you consider she's in the hunger games arena. I keep my hand on her head for a while, and then I play with her braid for a while. I just love her silky hair. And I love the way how it looks on sun. It's like glowing. It's so calm outside, that I don't want to wake her up. I have a bad feeling that I'm getting worse again. My leg hurts and it's very hot and I feel a little woozy again. She's sleeping soundly until afternoon. But when she wakes up, she's angry with me that I left her sleeping.

"Peeta, you were supposed to wake me after a couple of hours," she snaps.

"For what? Nothing's going on here," I say "Besides I like watching you sleep. You don't scowl. Improves your looks a lot." I smile at her. That makes her scowl, which makes me grin even wider. We're a weird couple. But then her anger changes into concern as she looks at me. She raises her hand and tastes my cheek.

„You were drinking, right?" she asks and gives me a strict look.

„I was!" I say in offensive voice. Only I was not drinking too much. And she recognizes that right in the moment she looks at the bottles. She gives me some pills for fever and she stands over me until I drink as much water as she wants. Then she tends about my burns and stings, which shows big improvement.

In the end she takes a deep breath and unwraps the wound on my leg. The moment she looks at it, I know it's not good. As she puts the bandage away, her eyes immediately reflect panic and despair. And when I look down at my leg, I know why. The wound seems much worse.

There's no more pus in evidence, but the swelling has increased and the tight shiny skin is inflamed. There are red streaks starting to crawl up my leg. That means blood poisoning. Unchecked, it will kill me in some time I'm sure. We'll need strong anti-infection drugs from the Capitol and I can't imagine how we could get them. They are far too expensive to be bought by sponsors.

"Well, there's more swelling, but the pus is gone," she says, trying to be convincing, but her unsteady voice and panic in her eyes betrays her.

"I know what blood poisoning is, Katniss," I say "Even if my mother isn't a healer."

"You're just going to have to outlast the others, Peeta. They'll cure it back at the Capitol when we win," she says and she doesn't even try to hide her desperation now. I'm sorry that I'm such a burden for her. She would have much more chances to win if she would leave me here.

"Yes, that's a good plan," I say trying to calm her down.

"You have to eat. Keep your strength up. I'm going to make you soup," she says determined to do something instead of sitting here and watching me die.

"Don't light a fire," I say scared of the possible consequences "It's not worth it."

"We'll see," she says stubbornly and goes out of the cave.

I lie back down and think about our options. I don't see any chance how I could survive this. She's away for a long time and I'm starting to get worse again. I'm weak, I'm shivering and the pain in my leg is pulsing in every second. I feel a little woozy too. I guess the fever is back.

After some time, she comes back with a worried face. She comes besides me and examines me. She goes back to cool bandages on my forehead and she looks more and more worried. I'm doing my best to look as good as I can, but it is a hard task in this state.

"Do you want anything?" she asks tentatively.

"No, Thank you." I say quietly, but suddenly an idea comes to my mind. „Wait, yes. Tell me a story." I smile at her. We both need something to cheer us up.

"A story?" She looks confused „What about?" she asks.

"Something happy. Tell me about the happiest day you can remember," I say and hope that it will help both of us.

She makes something between a sigh and a huff and thinks about it for a while.

"Did I ever tell you about how I got Prim's goat?" she asks. I shake my head, lie down and look her in the eyes, waiting for her happy story.

She told me a story about how she bought a goat for Prim. She says she sold a locket of her mother and got a lot of money. I guess she hunted something really good and get a lot of money, but she can't say that in front of all the Panem of course. She tells me how they went on a market with Gale and picked up a wounded goat for a great prize. The best part of her story is when she tells me how they got it home. How happy Prim was, that she was crying and laughing at the same time. She has such a happy expression on her face that it is enough for me to be happy. She continues telling me how they took care about her, picked some herbs and treated her leg. I can't help but remember how Katniss is treating my leg.

"They sound like you." I say quietly with a smile. She looks at me with an ironic smile.

"Oh, no, Peeta. They work magic. That thing couldn't have died if it tried" she jokes, but then I see worries in her eyes. Worries about me.

"Don't worry. I'm not trying," I joke. "Finish the story." I encourage her.

"Well, that's it. Only I remember that night, Prim insisted on sleeping with Lady on a blanket next to the fire. And just before they drifted off, the goat licked her cheek, like it was giving her a good night kiss or something," she says. "It was already mad about her."

"Was it still wearing the pink ribbon?" I ask. I can almost see the image in my head. I would love to draw it.

"I think so," she says "Why?"

"I'm just trying to get a picture," I say thoughtfully. "I can see why that day made you happy." I add with a smile.

"Well, I knew that goat would be a little gold mine," she says matter of fact. But I know better than that.

"Yes, of course I was referring to that, not the lasting joy you gave the sister you love so much you took her place in the reaping," I say dryly and give her a fake smile.

"The goat _has _paid for itself. Several times over," she says in a superior tone.

"Well, it wouldn't dare to do anything else after you saved its life," I say seriously "I intend to do the same thing." I joke.

"Really? What did you cost me again?" she asks a little annoyed.

"A lot of trouble. Don't worry. You'll get it all back," I say.

"You're not making sense," she says and tastes my forehead with her hand. "You're a little cooler though." she says but I can see worries coming up in her eyes. She's really a bad liar.

Then the sound of the trumpets startles us both. Katniss is on her feet and at the mouth of the cave in a flash, waiting for the announcement. Of course it is Claudius Templesmith and as it is usual in Huger Games he invites us for a feast.

„Attention tributes, attention! There will be a feast at Cornucopia!" Katniss already loses her interest and turns around to go back to me. We have enough food. But it is like he's speaking exactly to her.

"Now hold on. Some of you may already be declining my invitation. But this is no ordinary feast."

Katniss stops at this and waits for the rest.

„Each of you needs something" He says and there is a dramatic pause. „Desperately." I see the sparkle in Katniss's eyes as she's looks down at me. Hope. The medicine.

"Each of you will find that something in a backpack, marked with your district number, at the Cornucopia at dawn. Think hard about refusing to show up. For some of you, this will be your last chance," says Claudius. And that's it. Then there is only a dead silence. I know what is Katniss thinking about. I can see it in her eyes, already planning how she will get it. I extend my arm and grip her shoulder tightly.

„No." I say firmly. She's not going anywhere! „You're not risking your life for me!" I add firmly.

She looks at me and I can see it in her eyes.

"Who said I was?" she says, trying to sound casually.

"So, you're not going?" I ask suspiciously.

"Of course, I'm not going. Give me some credit. Do you think I'm running straight into some free-for-all against Cato and Clove and Thresh? Don't be stupid," she says and gets me back to the sleeping bag.

"I'll let them fight it out, we'll see who's in the sky tomorrow night and work out a plan from

there." she finishes, but I see that she's lying. Her eyes are betraying her. As usual.

"You're such a bad liar, Katniss. I don't know how you've survived this long." I say and mimic her lies _"I knew that goat would be a little gold mine. You're a little cooler though. Of course, I'm not going." _I shake my head

"Never gamble at cards. You'll lose your last coin," And immediately I have all of her anger on me. She's not trying to hide her intentions any more.

"All right, I am going, and you can't stop me!" she shouts and I'm sure the glare she's giving me could kill. Her eyes are cold and angry. But I won't be scared off by her. She's not going. Period!

"I can follow you. At least partway. I may not make it to the Cornucopia, but if I'm yelling your name, I bet someone can find me And then I'll be dead for sure," I say determinedly.

"You won't get a hundred yards from here on that leg," she argues.

"Then I'll drag myself," I continue "You go and I'm going, too." I say stubbornly.

"What am I supposed to do? Sit here and watch you die?" she's not angry anymore. Her anger has changed into desperation and she's almost crying now. She must care about me then.

"I won't die. I promise. If you promise not to go," I try to calm her. Even though I have no idea how I could keep this promise. For a moment she eyes me angrily, but I guess she doesn't want to argue any more.

"Then you have to do what I say. Drink your water, wake me when I tell you, and eat every bite of the soup no matter how disgusting it is!" she snaps at me and I promise to do so.

"Agreed. Is it ready?" I ask.

"Wait here," she says and goes out. She brings a pot of soup, which is not bad at all. I eat it, trying to look enthusiastic, happy and better then I actually feel. In the end she gives me some more fever medicine and goes out to wash the pot in the stream. After some time she comes back with the pot in her hands.

"I've brought you a treat. I found a new patch of berries a little farther downstream." she says with a happy smile. I don't know what is so good about it, but I'm glad she smiles.

So I obediently open my mouth to eat the berries. It was very good last time so why should I resist. As she puts the first spoonful into my mouth I know it is different than last time.

"They're very sweet." I say slowly. I still feel a little woozy from the fever.

"Yes, they're sugar berries. My mother makes jam from them. Haven't you ever had them before?" she asks while putting another spoonful into my mouth. Yes they're very sweet, but I can't shake the feeling that I tasted this in my life already. It's familiar taste.

"No," I say, almost puzzled. "But they taste familiar. Sugar berries?" I'm thinking hard about it, but in my woozy head I can't find it. But for some reason, I have a bad feeling about this.

"Well, you can't get them in the market much, they only grow wild," she says with another mouthful.

"They're sweet as syrup," I finally slowly realize, while taking the last spoonful. "Syrup." and right in that moment I get it. Syrup! The medicine from 12 which will make you sleep! She wants to make me sleep so she could go to the cornucopia! Damn it! That's when she claps her hand over my mouth and makes me swallow the rest of the berries which is still in my mouth. I want to vomit it out, but it's too late. My head is starting to get cloudy very quickly and I can't do anything. As my eyes close I can see the regret in her eyes and I dread the moment when I will wake up. She could be dead and I can't do anything about it. The last thing I remember is hearing her say

"Who can't lie, Peeta?" and then I lose my consciousness.


	6. Let Me Take Care Of You

Chapter 6: Let me take care of you

When I wake up, I'm confused. But I surely feel much better and much stronger. My head is still cloudy and it takes me some time to realize, what happened. To remember how Katniss made me sleep so she could go to the Cornucopia. The feast! I sit up so quickly that my head goes terribly dizzy and I have to close my eyes again to calm it down. I'm concerned about Katniss. When I open my eyes, I look for her immediately and to my horror I find her lying on the ground right next to me. A syringe lying in her hand and a horrifying puddle of blood around her head. _Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead._ I repeat in my head as I turn her on her back.

"Katniss?" I try it, but it's hopeless. She can't hear me. "Please don't be dead" I whisper while I press two of my fingers against the veins on her throat to find out if she's alive. To my relief I can feel her pulse. But it is not very strong. She's surely unconscious. She must have lost a lot of blood.

When I examine my leg, I find out, that it looks much better and it is already healing quickly. It is not even much painful, so I'm able to carry Katniss easily. I scoot her up and prompt her carefully against the wall. Her head is stained by her own blood, her hair and jacket too. I slowly walk to the stream with a cloth she used to get my fever down. I dive it in the stream and come back. I wipe all the blood of her face, revealing a huge gash on her forehead. For now it seems that the blood is not going out any more. Then I take her jacket off and wash it too. I have to think about a way how to wash her hair. Because it can't be wiped as easily as her face.

Finally I decide that I will put the plastic square on her so she would not get wet while I pour some water on her hair. I unbraid her hair so it would be easier to wash it. I get the pot we have after the broth and I fill it with water. Then I carefully pour it on her hair. It takes me about ten minutes to wash her hair. I lay her back on the ground and tuck her into the sleeping bag. I spread her wet hair around her head so she would not be lying on it while it is still wet.

I'm not sure what to do with her wound. It's quite long and I'm sure her mother would say it needs stitches. I look through the first aid kid, but there is no needle or string. Once my Dad has shown me, how to use adhesive bandage in a special way instead of stitches. It's called butterfly bandage. So I do it that way. With an adhesive bandage I try to "stitch" the gash. It seems good enough so then I put a piece of gauze on it and I wrap it up by normal bandage. It seems much better now. If only she would wake up. I find out, that her boots are wet, so I take them off together with her socks which are wet too. I guess that the only thing I can do now is wait.

Around noon, I get hungry so I eat a few pieces of that groosling which I was rejecting all the time. Whatever Katniss shot into me, it's helping me pretty quickly. My appetite is coming back and I realize it too late. I already ate three pieces of the groosling and there's not much left. Damn you, stupid Mellark! What will you eat when Katniss can't hunt for a few days now? I carefully put the rest of the food back and promise myself I will eat only small pieces of food.

I sit next to Katniss and watch the entrance. In the late afternoon, the sky gets cloudy and I'm afraid it's going to rain. In the evening, I sit Katniss up again and I prompt her against the cave wall. I remove her bandages and check her wound. It seems that it started bleeding a little. But even though I think it will be okay. Before I wrap it back, I decide I'll braid her hair since it is dry again. Her hair is quite a mess. I guess she didn't comb it much here in the arena, so I use my fingers instead of comb and brush her hair carefully. They are so beautiful, that I don't want to stop at all. I know that if she would be awake, she would not let me and that's why I smile a little and continue untangling them with my fingers. When they look brushed enough, I start to braid them. You ask how do I know how to braid hair? Well it's like braiding a bun in the bakery. The only difference is that instead of dough I do it with hair. I'm kind of sad, when it is done. I would like to braid it all day. I wrap up her wound and lay her back down into the sleeping bag.

When the night falls, a quiet rain starts falling down just in the moment, when the anthem plays and I look out of our cave to see who died at the feast. The only face which appeared on the sky is Clove. So she cut Katniss and then Katniss killed her? I wonder how she was able to do that. I guess I'll have to wait until she's awake.

I keep the watch through the night. Or at least I try because I doze off few times. The rain gets worse and some water starts to dip through several holes in the ceiling. I use the piece of plastic and wedge it into the rock above Katniss. It helps a little and it is not raining on her. But her boots and socks are still damp.

The dawn is coming and Katniss is still out. I'm starting to be afraid if she will wake up. But I can still hear her heart beat and I can feel her breathe so I hope she will be okay. I eat some dried plums and I examine my leg. It looks even better than before. The medicine had to be very strong to heal my leg so fast.

It is still raining outside. It seems that it is even worse than yesterday. Thunders start to arrive, announcing a storm. Great. I sit back beside Katniss and brush some loose hair from her eyes. I keep stroking her hair and I examine her face. She looks so calm, that I don't want to wake her up into this nightmare. I want to let her sleep until she is a victor. And right in that moment she moves slightly, releasing a groan from her mouth. I look at her and put my hand on her cheek.

"Katniss," I say in a quiet voice "Katniss, can you hear me?"

There they are. Her beautiful silver eyes flap open and she looks alarmed for a moment. Then she looks at me and her look is a little confused.

"Peeta?" she says quietly.

"Hey." I smile at her "Good to see your eyes again."

"How long have I been out?" she asks.

"Not sure. I woke up yesterday evening and you were lying next to me in a very scary pool of blood," I tell her "I think it's stopped finally, but I wouldn't sit up or anything." I advise her.

She slowly lifts her hand, looks at it and then she touches her bandaged forehead. I get a bottle of water and let her drink as much as she wants.

"You're better." she says as she stops drinking.

"Much better. Whatever you shot into my arm did the trick," I say and smile again. "By this morning, almost all the swelling in my leg was gone." I inform her.

„Did you eat?" she asks.

"I'm sorry to say I gobbled down three pieces of that groosling before I realized it might have to last a while. Don't worry, I'm back on a strict diet," I admit sadly.

"No, it's good. You need to eat. I'll go hunting soon," she says.

"Not too soon, all right?" I say concerned "You just let me take care of you for a while okay." I say softly and to my surprise she's not arguing about this. I feed her with bites of groosling and raisins and make her drink plenty of water. I try to rub some warmth back into her frozen feet and wrap them in my jacket before tucking the sleeping bag back up around her.

"Your boots and socks are still damp and the weather's not helping much," I tell her. "I wonder what brought on this storm. I mean, who's the target?" I really want to know what happened.

"Cato and Thresh," she says immediately "Foxface will be in her den somewhere and Clove... she cut me and then..." her voice trails off and she looks away from me.

"I know Clove's dead. I saw it in the sky last night," I say "Did you kill her?"

"No. Thresh broke her skull with a rock," she says flatly.

"Lucky he didn't catch you, too," I say. Lucky that she's so nimble.

"He did. But he let me go." she says almost barely audibly.

„What?" I look at her. How could he let her go? She seems that it is painful for her to tell me.

„He let me go because of Rue." she says and confuses me even more. I keep staring at her to encourage her to talk.

„ After the tracker-jackers, she healed me and helped me, so we teamed up." she starts. That's not a surprise.

„We've been together for two days when we decided to blow up careers food. We made a plan. She was setting fires to get their attention and I should have blown it up. I managed to do that with my bow, but because of that explosion, I lost hearing sense in my left ear. I saw how Cato killed the boy from district 3 and luckily I got out of there without being seen. We were supposed to meet up with Rue but she wasn't there. I thought she's just late so I waited until late afternoon. Then I went looking for her, I heard her mockingjay tune, so I went towards her thanks to the mockingjays. And then I heard her scream." she stops for a while and I see pain in her eyes. I remember hearing that scream. It was terrible.

„She was calling me. I run as fast as I could. She was trapped in a net and just in the moment I arrived that boy from 1 threw a spar at her. I could do nothing else then kill him. She was dying another few minutes." she says and her voice shakes. „She... she wanted me to sing for her so I did until she died." Oh my, this must have been terrible.

„I picked some flowers in there and I decorated her with it so her death won't be so terrible. I said goodbye to her and that was it. In the evening of that day, I got a parachute. It was a bread from district 11." she says and I can see how hard she fights with her emotions.

„Then yesterday, when Clove caught me, she was saying something about Rue. That they killed my little ally Rue and they're gonna kill me now. Trash heard her and broke her head with stone for Rue. Then he asked me what did she meant and I told him we were allies and that I tried to save her. And then he said 'Just this one time, I let you go. For Rue. You and me, we're even then. No more owed. You understand?' and so I run away." she finishes looking terribly sad.

„He let you go because he didn't want to owe you anything?" I ask in disbelief. It's not usual in Hunger Games.

"Yes. I don't expect you to understand it. You've always had enough. But if you'd lived in the Seam, I wouldn't have to explain," she says and it offends me a little.

"And don't try. Obviously I'm too dim to get it." I say

"It's like the bread. How I never seem to get over owing you for that," she says.

"The bread? What? From when we were kids?" I ask. Does she really remember that?

"I think we can let that go. I mean, you just brought me back from the dead." I add.

"But you didn't know me. We had never even spoken. Besides, it's the first gift that's always the hardest to pay back. I wouldn't even have been here to do it if you hadn't helped me then," she says "Why did you, anyway?" she asks confused a little.

"Why? You know why," I say. Does she not believe my love yet? She shakes her head slightly. "Haymitch said you would take a lot of convincing." I say. Yeah he was definitely right about this.

"Haymitch?" she asks. "What's he got to do with it?"

"Nothing," I say "So, Cato and Thresh, huh? I guess it's too much to hope that they'll simultaneously destroy each other?" I suggest. It would be good for us though. But she still seems upset.

"I think we would like Thresh. I think he'd be our friend back in District 12," she says quietly and sadly.

"Then let's hope Cato kills him, so we don't have to," I say grimly looking at her. But suddenly, I see tears coming to her eyes and then falling down her cheeks. I guess it's just too much for her. But I'm still worried about her. Katniss was always hiding her feelings, avoiding tears.

"What is it? Are you in a lot of pain?" I ask her carefully. She looks at me and I'm scared by that look. It is sad, desperate, painful and pleading.

"I want to go home, Peeta," she says plaintively, like a little child. Her tears and sadness is hurting my heart. I don't want to see her like this.

"You will. I promise," I lean towards her and kiss her softly.

"I want to go home now," she says, tears are streaming down her cheeks and she looks at me desperately. I can't let her cry like this.

"Tell you what. You go back to sleep and dream of home. And you'll be there for real before you know it," I say with a little smile. That's the best I can do for her here. "Okay?"

"Okay," she whispers weakly and turns to lie on her side. "Wake me if you need me to keep watch."

"I'm good and rested, thanks to you and Haymitch. Besides, who knows how long this will last?" I say, I sit beside her and keep stroking her hair softly as she keeps looking away from me. Hiding her tears of sadness. After all, she's not that cold or heartless as everyone says. I know it's quite the opposite, she has a big and loving heart.

I let her sleep until evening because she needs sleep. Even though I'm famished, I wait for her with the dinner. There's not much food left though. The rain is getting only worse and I'm afraid that our hunger will be only worse when we don't have a chance to get some food.

"Should we try and ration it?" I ask her

"No, let's just finish it. The groosling's getting old anyway, and the last thing we need is to get sick off spoilt food," she says and divides the food into two little piles. We try to enjoy the food, we try to eat it slowly, but it is not enough to keep us from hunger for long.

„Tomorrow's a hunting day." Katniss says excited.

"I won't be much help with that," I say. "I've never hunted before."

"I'll kill and you cook," She smiles at me encouragingly. "And you can always gather."

"I wish there was some sort of bread bush out there," I dream.

"The bread they sent me from District Eleven was still warm," she sights "Here, chew these." she gives me a few mint leaves. It's not really a food, but it helps a little.

"Where did Thresh go? I mean, what's on the far side of the circle?" she asks.

"A field. As far as you can see it's full of grasses as high as my shoulders. I don't know, maybe some of them are grain. There are patches of different colors. But there are no paths," I say. I remember I saw it the first day.

"I bet some of them are grain. I bet Thresh knows which ones, too," Katniss says "Did you go in there?" she looks at me.

"No. Nobody really wanted to track Thresh down in that grass. It has a sinister feeling to it. Every time I look at that field, all I can think of are hidden things. Snakes, and rabid animals, and quicksand," I admit. "There could be anything in there."

"Maybe there is a bread bush in that field," she says with a slight smile "Maybe that's why Thresh looks better fed now than when we started the Games."

"Either that or he's got very generous sponsors," I say "I wonder what we'd have to do to get Haymitch to send us some bread." Is he not watching us? Will he let us starve to death? Katniss scowls a little. I wonder why. But then her expression changes into mischievous.

"Well, he probably used up a lot of resources helping me knock you out," she says and her eyes have playful sparkles.

"Yeah, about that," I say and entwine our fingers. "Don't try something like that again." I say.

"Or what?" she asks.

"Or . . . or . . ." I can't get the right words. Unusual for me, huh? "Just give me a minute."

"What's the problem?" she says with a grin.

"The problem is we're both still alive. Which only reinforces the idea in your mind that you did the right thing," I say and I really mean it.

"I did the right thing," she says little angrily.

"No! Just don't, Katniss!" I'm angry with her now. Doesn't she see how much danger she put herself in because of me? That she could lose her life? "Don't die for me. You won't be doing me any favors. All right?" I'm angry with this fierce girl. For a moment she seems startled.

"Maybe I did it for myself, Peeta, did you ever think of that?" she says impatiently. What does she mean? „Maybe you aren't the only one who... who worries about... what it would be like if..." I must admit she could use some lecture about good speaking and expressing feelings. I would happily volunteer for that. Anyway, does she mean that she would not like to lose me? Her eyes are suddenly scared by some image.

"If what, Katniss?" I ask softly. I need to know that. Is it possible that she cares about me? She looks at me for a while, nervous.

"That's exactly the kind of topic Haymitch told me to steer clear of," she says evasively. I guess she doesn't want to tell me. Or maybe she doesn't want to look weak or vulnerable in front of cameras. I don't know, but I can feel that she's not so indifferent to me. I smile at her slightly to show that I understand her.

"Then I'll just have to fill in the blanks myself," I say, take up my courage and move in to kiss her. This kiss is somehow different. Until now, her kisses were usually short and not very passionate. But this one is completely different. Just a second before my lips touch hers, I see how she closes her eyes, ready to accept my kiss. Maybe also looking forward to it. I put my hand on her neck and pull her closer and our lips touch. And it is so beautiful and sweet. Her lips are soft, warm and sweet. This kiss lasts longer then the kisses before and by her expression I can see, that she doesn't want me to stop. I see it in her eyes. Passion and desire for another kiss. But I also realize that there is fresh blood on her bandage. So I just smile and give her a light kiss on her nose.

"I think your wound is bleeding again. Come on, lie down, it's bedtime anyway," I say and tuck her back to the sleeping bag. I get her socks back, because they are dry enough to wear.

„Thanks." she says „Put your jacket back on Peeta I don't need it anymore." she says. Even though I'm freezing, I protest, but she doesn't let me and I have to put it on.

„I'll get the first watch." she says stubbornly.

„Okay, but you will be in the sleeping bag with me." I bargain with her. Finally she agrees. By the way she shivers I guess that she doesn't mind to be in there with me. I pull her head and place it on my arm, then I put my other arm around her waist. _Oh how beautiful this is. I would be happy to live all my life like this._ She doesn't object at all. I hope a little that she likes it too. She puts on the glasses and watches the cave entrance. I doze off in a few minutes, because I'm really tired. After a few hours she shakes my body.

„Wake up Peeta." she says quietly. „I can't stay up any more, could you take the watch?" I'm still half asleep, but of course I will. I take the glasses and put them on. I can easily see outside, but there's nothing more than rain.

"Tomorrow, when it's dry, I'll find us a place so high in the trees we can both sleep in peace," she promises and she dozes off really quickly. She's so beautiful when she's asleep. The rain keeps going down and it is so rhythmic that it lulls me into sleep sometimes. Then I wake up in shock and look around scared that it is morning already.

But tomorrow is no better in terms of weather. The deluge continues as if the Gamemakers are intent on washing us all away. The thunder's so powerful it seems to shake the ground. I'm considering heading out anyway to scavenge for food, but Katniss persuades me, that in this storm it would be pointless. I know she's right of course, but the gnawing in our stomachs is becoming painful. Why can't Haymitch send us something to eat?!

The day drags on turning into evening and there's no break in the weather. Haymitch is our only hope, but nothing is forthcoming. We're starving, weak from injuries, trying not to reopen wounds. We're just sitting huddled together wrapped in the sleeping bag. I don't mind that. It's nice to have a reason to huddle together with Katniss. To hug her little body and share our heat. To hold her in my arms and kiss her into her hair. If we would not been in the hunger games arena, I would be quite happy. When the evening is coming, she's the one who starts our conversation, which is unusual.

"Peeta," she says lightly. "You said at the interview you'd had a crush on me forever. When did forever start?"

"Oh, let's see." I say with a smile. No reason to hide it any more. „I guess the first day of school. We were five. You had on a red plaid dress and your hair . . . it was in two braids instead of one. My father pointed you out when we were waiting to line up," I tell her. I remember that day clearly. Like it was yesterday.

"Your father? Why?" she asks surprised.

"He said, 'See that little girl? I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner,'" I say.

"What? You're making that up!" she exclaims.

"No, true story," I smile again "And I said, 'A coal miner? Why did she want a coal miner if she could have had you?' And he said, 'Because when he sings . . . even the birds stop to listen.'"

"That's true. They do. I mean, they did," she says. She seems surprised now.

"So that day, in music assembly" I continue „the teacher asked who knew the valley song. Your hand shot right up in the air. She stood you up on a stool and had you sing it for us. And I swear, every bird outside the windows fell silent," I say dreamily.

"Oh, please," she laughs.

"No, it happened." I assure her „And right when your song ended, I knew — just like your mother — I was a goner," I say finally "Then for the next eleven years, I tried to work up the nerve to talk to you." I smile shyly.

"Without success," she adds quietly and looks at me shyly too.

"Without success. So, in a way, my name being drawn in the reaping was a real piece of luck," I joke and smile back at her. She seems stunned. Like she was not expecting me to come out with this story. Like she was thinking that I'm not honest with my love. Could she really think that? That I would do this only to get out of Hunger Games?

"You have a . . . remarkable memory," she says haltingly. And suddenly I can see, how vulnerable she is, when she doesn't wear her hunter mask. Or at least she seems vulnerable and more sensitive. I like that Katniss. I like to take care of her and keep her safe.

"I remember everything about you," I say softly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Charmed by her beauty and by the intent look in her silver eyes. "You're the one who wasn't paying attention." I smile.

"I am now," she says shyly.

"Well, I don't have much competition here," I say. For a moment I think that she will stop speaking again. That she will avoid saying it again. But then she swallows and speaks clearly.

"You don't have much competition anywhere." And this time, it is her, who leans in. She kisses my lips softly and it is so amazingly beautiful that I don't want to stop. But immediately there's a clank outside and we both jump up. Katniss ready to shoot arrows and I ready to fight. When nothing else happens, I peer out through the rocks and then I cheer with joy. There's a parachute attached to a huge picnic basket. Haymitch has finally had mercy on us!

When I handle the basket to Katniss, she rips it open and immediately we're pleased by the beautiful smells which are coming out of it. The feast which is in there, could last for a week I guess. Fresh rolls, goat cheese, apples, and a tureen of that incredible lamb stew on wild rice, which Katniss likes so much.

"I guess Haymitch finally got tired of watching us starve." I say when I sit next to her

"I guess so," she answers. I can see the hunger in her eyes, but an alarm goes in my head as I remember the first night in the train and that feast.

"We better take it slow on that stew. Remember the first night on the train? The rich food made me sick and I wasn't even starving then." I remind her.

"You're right. And I could just inhale the whole thing!" she says looking regretful and longing.

Finally we each have a roll, half an apple, and a small serving of stew and rice. We both try to eat it slowly, enjoying every bite, but even though we still both feel hungry. When we finish eating I see how longingly she looks at the stew.

"I want more." she says pleadingly.

"Me, too. Tell you what. We wait an hour, if it stays down, then we get another serving," I suggest.

"Agreed," she says "It's going to be a long hour."

"Maybe not that long," I say and give her a mischievous smile "What was that you were saying just before the food arrived? Something about me . . . no competition . . . best thing that ever happened to you . . ."

"I don't remember that last part," she says and I can see a blush coming to her face.

"Oh, that's right. That's what _I _was thinking," I smile. "Scoot over, I'm freezing." I say, she moves a little in the sleeping bag and I squeeze next to her. We lean back against the cave wall, I put my arms around her and pull her closer to me and she rests her head on my shoulder.

"So, since we were five, you never even noticed any other girls?" she asks me curiously.

"No, I noticed just about every girl, but none of them made a lasting impression but you," I smile widely.

"I'm sure that would thrill your parents, you liking a girl from the Seam," she says ironically. I know my dad would not mind. He actually liked Katniss as far as I know. But my mother, she would probably be going crazy.

"Hardly. But I couldn't care less. Anyway, if we make it back, you won't be a girl from the Seam, you'll be a girl from the Victor's Village," I say.

"But then, our only neighbor will be Haymitch!" she exclaims, giving me a scared look. Well she's right. Why don't we give our audience some fun?

"Ah, that will be nice," I say, tightening my hug "You and me and Haymitch. Very cozy. Picnics, birthdays, long winter nights around the fire retelling old Hunger Games' tales." I can almost imagine that funny scene.

"I told you, he hates me!" she says, but she laughs all the time. Her laugh is so beautiful. It's nice to hear something like that in the arena.

"Only sometimes. When he's sober, I've never heard him say one negative thing about you," I comfort her.

"He's never sober!" she protests.

"That's right. Who am I thinking of? Oh, I know. It's Cinna who likes you. But that's mainly because you didn't try to run when he set you on fire," I continue in our little comedy. "On the other hand, Haymitch . . . well, if I were you, I'd avoid Haymitch completely. He hates you."

"I thought you said I was his favorite," she says.

"He hates me more," I smile "I don't think people in general are his sort of thing." I finish and have to laugh too. I can imagine Haymitch standing in front of the screen, shaking his head over our little conversation.

"How do you think he did it?" Katniss asks after a while.

"Who? Did what?" I ask.

"Haymitch. How do you think he won the Games?" she says. I think about it for a while and I see only one possible option.

"He outsmarted the others," I say.

After a while, we agree we're still hungry and we want to eat one more portion of food. So while Katniss prepares the servings, I look out of the cave, when the anthem plays. To see how are Cato and Trash doing.

"There won't be anything to see tonight," she says and just in that moment, there is Trash's face on the sky. So Cato did it. He managed to kill him. "Nothing's happened or we would've heard cannon." Katniss says which pulls me back to reality.

"Katniss," I say quietly.

"What? Should we split another roll, too?" she asks.

"Katniss," I repeat, but she still ignores me.

"I'm going to split one. But I'll save the cheese for tomorrow," she says while I stare at her. "What?" she asks.

"Thresh is dead," I say.

"He can't be," she says.

"They must have fired the cannon during the thunder and we missed it," I say.

"Are you sure? I mean, it's pouring buckets out there. I don't know how you can see anything," Then she pushes me away from the entrance and looks at the sky. I can see the shock on her face as she sees it. She slumps down against the rocks and seems shocked. She stares blankly ahead and doesn't say a thing. She looks sad. Almost scared. I can't blame her, he spared her life and she owns him that.

„You all right?" I ask softly. She just shrugs, cups her elbows in her hands and hugs them tight. She looks like crying, but she's trying to hide it in. She looks desperate and scared for a moment.

"It's just . . . if we didn't win . . . I wanted Thresh to. Because he let me go. And because of Rue." she says finally.

"Yeah, I know," I say "But this means we're one step closer to District Twelve." I hand her the food "Eat. It's still warm."

"It also means Cato will be back hunting us." she says.

"And he's got supplies again," I answer.

"He'll be wounded, I bet," she says.

"What makes you say that?" I ask.

"Because Thresh would have never gone down without a fight. He's so strong, I mean, he was. And they were in his territory," she answers flatly.

"Good," I say. "The more wounded Cato is the better. I wonder how Foxface is making out."

"Oh, she's fine," Katniss says peevishly. She seems like she's annoyed by her. "Probably be easier to catch Cato than her."

"Maybe they'll catch each other and we can just go home," I say. "But we better be extra careful about the watches. I dozed off a few times." I admit honestly.

"Me, too," she says. "But not tonight."

We finish the food and I take the first watch. Katniss burrows down into the sleeping bag and I settle next to her. She falls asleep quite quickly and I can hear her steady quiet breathing. I keep thinking about Cato, will he look for us in this weather? Will he find us quickly? Or will it be easier for us to find him? It's always better to have a moment of surprise on your side. But we're two and he's just one. Well we'll see tomorrow. After a few hours, I'm feeling hungry again. I can't resist it and eat half of the roll with goat cheese and apple. It's so good! Then I wake Katniss up and she immediately notices the food in my hand.

"Don't be mad," I say. "I had to eat again. Here's your half."

"Oh, good," she says, takes it and takes a huge bite. „Mmm" she hums contently.

"We make a goat cheese and apple tart at the bakery," I say. I miss baking.

"Bet that's expensive," she says.

"Too expensive for my family to eat. Unless it's gone very stale. Of course, practically everything we eat is stale," I say, pulling the sleeping bag up around me. In less than a minute I'm asleep.


	7. The Final Battle

Chapter 7: The Final Battle

I feel like it is only a minute when Katniss shakes my shoulder. When I open my eyes, she's leaning over me and her braid tickles me on my face. I pull her down for a kiss. It's so good to be able to kiss her.

"We're wasting hunting time," she says when we break away. I answer her with a smile.

"I wouldn't call it wasting," I say and stretch. "So do we hunt on empty stomachs to give us an edge?" I ask.

"Not us," she says. "We stuff ourselves to give us staying power."

"Count me in," I smile, but she surprises me, when she divides everything we have left. "All this?"

"We'll earn it back today," she says and we both plow into our plates. Even cold, it's one of the best things I've ever tasted. In the end she scrapes up the last dabs of gravy with her fingers.

"I can feel Effie Trinket shuddering at my manners." she jokes.

"Hey, Effie, watch this!" I say. Then I toss my fork over my shoulder and lick my plate clean making loud, satisfied sounds. Then I blow a kiss out to her in general and in the end I call "We miss you, Effie!" I'm in such a good mood, that I can't believe it. Katniss covers my mouth with her hand laughing.

"Stop! Cato could be right outside our cave." she says.

"What do I care? I've got you to protect me now," I say pulling her closer to me. I love her so much.

"Come on," she says, she wants to go, but I don't until she gives me another kiss.

But as we go out of the cave, it's immediate change. It's like the cave was just a little holiday and now we're back in the arena, facing Cato, who's surely looking for us by now. Katniss gives me a knife and I put it into my belt.

"He'll be hunting us by now," I tell her "Cato isn't one to wait for his prey to wander by."

"If he's wounded —" she begins.

"It won't matter," I brake in "If he can move, he's coming."

"If we want food, we better head back up to my old hunting grounds," she says.

"Your call. Just tell me what you need me to do," I tell her. I have no idea how could I help her with hunting.

"Keep an eye out," she says. "Stay on the rocks as much as possible, no sense in leaving him tracks to follow. And listen for both of us." she's nervous about her loss of hearing in one ear. I can imagine that it is not very pleasing to lost hearing. Especially for a hunter. We're still a weird couple. I still limp, because my leg isn't all healed yet and Katniss's head isn't healed too. She still wears the bandage, just in case it would start bleeding again. We slowly move from the rocky stream to the forest covered in pine needles. After a while Katniss turns and looks at me.

"What?" I ask.

"You've got to move more quietly," she says. "Forget about Cato, you're chasing off every rabbit in a ten-mile radius."

"Really?" I say "Sorry, I didn't know." and I really didn't. I always admired how quietly she walks. I try to walk quietly, but it's no use I guess because after a while she turns to me again.

"Can you take your boots off?" she asks.

"Here?" Isn't it a little dangerous? What if I step on something? Well I guess that I'm really lost case in hunting.

"Yes," she says patiently. "I will, too. That way we'll both be quieter." and she takes her boots off. She speaks like she is making any sound while walking. After few hours, we arrive at her old camp, where she was with Rue, but she didn't shoot anything. I don't think it's her fault though. I can see that she's annoyed with my noisy walking. How would she appreciate her usual hunting partner now... She's looking at me, considering something. Probably thinking where to hide me so she could hunt and I would not get injured.

"Katniss," I say "We need to split up. I know I'm chasing away the game."

"Only because your leg's hurt," she says. Oh that's sweet, she's being kind to me. Even though both of us know that my hurt leg is a minor reason for being loud.

"I know," I say. "So, why don't you go on? Show me some plants to gather and that way we'll both be useful." I suggest.

"Not if Cato comes and kills you." she says a little annoyed with me.

I just laugh. "Look, I can handle Cato. I fought him before, didn't I?" she's looking at me with a worried look.

"What if you climbed up in a tree and acted as a lookout while I hunted?" she says, trying to make it sound like very important work. _Oh good try, Everdeen._

"What if you show me what's edible around here and go get us some meat?" I reply with a same tone. "Just don't go far, in case you need help." I say, worrying about her. She just sights and shows me few plants and roots I can gather. She also teaches me a special bird whistle, which we will use to signal that we're okay.

So I keep digging roots, whistling our signal in periodic moments, receiving Katniss's signal back. It's really genius idea how to communicate. After a while I see some berries by the stream so I walk there and get some. I go back, put them on the plastic sheet and go back for more.

"Peeta!" I suddenly hear her cry. "Peeta!" it sounds even more desperate. I turn and run towards our camp. As I go through the bushes, I'm startled by an arrow which sticks in a tree just a few inches from me. I jump back and the berries fly out of my hands.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to be here, not running around in the woods!" she's angry.

"I found some berries down by the stream," I say, confused by her anger.

"I whistled. Why didn't you whistle back?" she snaps. Correction. She's not angry, she's furious.

"I didn't hear. The water's too loud, I guess," I say, go to her and put my arms on her shoulders, because she's trembling. Either she's so angry or she was scared.

"I thought Cato killed you!" she shouts at me.

"No, I'm fine." I hug her tight, but she doesn't say anything. "Katniss?"

"If two people agree on a signal, they stay in range. Because if one of them doesn't answer, they're

in trouble, all right?" I guess she was more afraid about me then angry.

"All right!" I say.

"All right. Because that's what happened with Rue, and I watched her die!" she says angrily.

"And you ate without me!" she shouts, when she looks at the little pile of food we have left.

"What? No, I didn't," I defend.

"Oh, and I suppose the apples ate the cheese," She says angrily.

"I don't know what ate the cheese," I say trying to be calm. "but it wasn't me. I've been down by the stream collecting berries. Would you care for some?" I show her a handful.

Suddenly we're startled by a canon. For some reason, Katniss looks at me with scared eyes like expecting me to fall down dead. Then a hovercraft appears a hundred yards or so away. What's left of Foxface's emaciated body is lifted into the air. I can see the red glint of her hair in the sunlight.

If Cato killed her just now, he'll be here in any second! I take Katniss's arm and push her toward a tree. "Climb. He'll be here in a second. We'll stand a better chance fighting him from above." I prepare for the fight, but she stops me and suddenly she's not angry any more. She seems calm and sadness is in her eyes. I don't understand her. "No, Peeta, she's your kill, not Cato's." That's even more confusing.

"What? I haven't even seen her since the first day," I say "How could I have killed her?"

In answer, she holds out the berries. I still don't get it.

"They are poisoned." she explains quietly. I just stay in awe.

„Her strategy was stealing food from others. I saw her few times." she explains.

"I wonder how she found us," I say "My fault, I guess, if I'm as loud as you say." I'm sorry for that.

"And she's very clever, Peeta. Well, she was. Until you outfoxed her." she says a bit sadly, but with a slight smile. I guess she's just trying to be nice.

"Not on purpose. Doesn't seem fair somehow. I mean, we would have both been dead, too, if she hadn't eaten the berries first." I check the berries and then it hits me. Katniss recognized it. They way how she examined them... "No, of course, we wouldn't. You recognized them, didn't you?" she just nods quietly.

"We call them nightlock." she says and I still can't tear my look from them.

"Even the name sounds deadly," I say "I'm sorry, Katniss. I really thought they were the same ones you'd gathered." I could have killed us both.

"Don't apologize. It just means we're one step closer to home, right?" she says with a kind smile. But I can't help then be sad about Foxface. She died because of my stupidity.

"I'll get rid of the rest," I say and I'm just about to toss them carefully to the forest.

"Wait!" she cries. She pulls out a leather pouch that belonged to Marvel and fills it with a few handfuls of berries from the plastic. "If they fooled Foxface, maybe they can fool Cato as well. If he's chasing us or something, we can act like we accidentally drop the pouch and if he eats

them —"

"Then hello District Twelve," I grin.

"That's it," she says, securing the pouch to her belt.

"He'll know where we are now," I say "If he was anywhere nearby and saw that hovercraft, he'll know we killed her and come after us." this thought actually scares me. I don't feel like facing Cato again and I don't want Katniss to face him either.

"Let's make a fire. Right now." she begins to gather branches and brush.

"Are you ready to face him?" I ask quietly.

"I'm ready to eat. Better to cook our food while we have the chance. If he knows we're here, he knows. But he also knows there's two of us and probably assumes we were hunting Foxface. That means you're recovered. And the fire means we're not hiding, we're inviting him here. Would you show up?" she asks

"Maybe not," I say after a consideration. But Cato is much more bloodthirsty and arrogant then me. But he's not stupid.

One thing I'm good at is fires. No surprise when you consider I'm baker's son. So I coax a fire out of the damp wood in a blink of eye. In no time, we have the rabbits and squirrel roasting, the roots, wrapped in leaves, baking in the coals. We take turns gathering greens and keeping a careful watch for Cato, but as we anticipated, he doesn't make an appearance. Good for us. When the food's cooked, Katniss packs most of it up, leaving us each a rabbit's leg to eat as we walk. Katniss wants to go higher to the mountains, camping on a tree, but I doubt I could survive like that.

"I can't climb like you, Katniss, especially with my leg, and I don't think I could ever fall asleep fifty feet above the ground." I protest.

"It's not safe to stay in the open, Peeta," she says.

"Can't we go back to the cave?" I ask "It's near water and easy to defend."

I expect her argue with me, but to my surprise, after a long moment of thinking, she reaches up and gives me a kiss.

"Sure. Let's go back to the cave." she says and so we go.

"Well, that was easy." I comment jokingly and she just gives me a warning look. I understand her. _Don't make fun of me or I'll pull you up on a tree._

So she takes her arrow from the oak trunk and we go back towards the cave. We decide to go in the stream since the water level has dropped. It is better, because we don't make any tracks and I think I'm also a little quieter in water. But still we're both very tired. We walk for several hours, both of us ready to fight if Cato comes. But he doesn't. The sun is hot and we're really exhausted as we arrive to our cave. It's becoming special for me. Kind of „home" in the arena. I almost feel happy in here with Katniss. We fill up our water bottles and Katniss sets a good dinner out, but halfway through, I start to feel my eyes closing heavily. Katniss immediately orders me into the sleeping bag and sets aside the rest of my food for when I wake. I'm dozing off immediately. The last thing I remember is how she pulls the sleeping bag up to my chin and kisses my forehead. When she shakes my shoulder, it's getting lighter outside. Did she let me sleep all night?!

"I slept the whole night. That's not fair, Katniss, you should have woken me." I protest.

She just stretches and burrows down into the bag. "I'll sleep now. Wake me if anything interesting happens." and she falls into her dreamlands in a few minutes. I eat my food and keep the watch, but nothing interesting happens. It's quite hot today. When she wakes up again, it's afternoon.

"Any sign of our friend?" she asks.

"No, he's keeping a disturbingly low profile." I answer.

"How long do you think we'll have before the Gamemakers drive us together?" she asks.

"Well, Foxface died almost a day ago, so there's been plenty of time for the audience to place bets and get bored. I guess it could happen at any moment," I say. I'm getting nervous about this. I have a feeling that it won't be nice. It never is in the end of the games.

"Yeah, I have a feeling today's the day," she says. I have that feeling too. "I wonder how they'll do it." she adds. Who knows. They have a lot of means and none of it is very pleasant.

"Well, until they do, no sense in wasting a hunting day. But we should probably eat as much as we can hold just in case we run into trouble," she says after a while of silence.

I pack up everything while Katniss lays out all our remaining food. When we're finished, we go out of the cave and I feel a little sad, that we're not staying here anymore. It felt like some kind of a safe heaven. We head towards the stream, preparing to wash a little, but we only find a bone-dry bed.

"Not even a little damp. They must have drained it while we slept," Katniss says after she put her hand into it. And as I think about it for a while, it hits me.

"The lake," I say quietly. "That's where they want us to go."

"Maybe the ponds still have some," Katniss says hopefully.

"We can check," I say, but I'm just humoring her. I kind of know, everything except the lake will be dry.

"You're right. They're driving us to the lake," she says finally "Do you want to go straightaway or wait until the water's tapped out?" I think about it for a while.

"Let's go now, while we've had food and rest. Let's just go and end this thing," I say. Maybe she doesn't realize it, but I can see the fear in her eyes. I'm afraid of Cato too. But as long as Katniss is alive, I'm okay. I wrap my arms around her.

"Two against one. Should be a piece of cake," I say, trying to make her feel better.

"Next time we eat, it will be in the Capitol," she says, hiding her fear.

"I bet we will," I smile back.

We stand there for a while, locked in a tight embrace, feeling each other. Then without a word, we break apart and head for the lake. As we travel, I think about something else than Cato. I must keep thinking about the rule change they did because of us. I kind of feel that it won't last for long. I can feel that they did it just to make this more interesting for the audience. I'm afraid that they won't let two victors go out of here. But if that will happen I know what I will do. I know who will be the one going home and who will be the one dying. I smile quietly for myself.

We reach the lake and Cornucopia by late afternoon. There's no sign of Cato. Just in case Cato decided to pull a Foxface (as Katniss called it) on us, we circle the Cornucopia to make sure it's empty. Then we cross to the lake and fill our water containers.

"We don't want to fight him after dark. There's only the one pair of glasses." Katniss frowns.

"Maybe that's what he's waiting for. What do you want to do? Go back to the cave?" I ask.

"Either that or find a tree. But let's give him another half an hour or so. Then we'll take cover," she answers.

We sit by the lake, in full sight. There's no point in hiding any more. After a while Katniss opens her mouth and sings some four tone melody. It surprises me, but I don't say nothing. I just enjoy her beautiful voice. All the birds which were singing before now stop curiously and listen to her voice as she sings it again in absolute silence. At first one mockingjay trills the tune back, then another. Then the whole world comes alive with the harmony.

"Just like your father," I say quietly, smiling for myself.

She traces her mockingjay pin "That's Rue's song," she says absentmindedly. "I think they remember it."

After a while something begins to disrupt the music. The mockingjay's voices rise up in a shrieking cry of alarm. That can't be good.

We're on our feet immediately, I have my knife, Katniss poised to shoot, when Cato smashes through the trees and bears down on us. He has no sword. In fact, his hands are empty, yet he runs straight for us. First arrow hits his chest and inexplicably falls aside.

"He's got some kind of body armor!" Katniss shouts sounding a little desperate.

Just in a second, Cato is upon us. I brace myself, but he rockets right between us with no attempt to check his speed. I can tell that he's been running for a long time. Not toward us. From something. But what? Immediately, Katniss starts to run away without any word. I look towards the forest and immediately I know why and I start my run too. It's kind of worse for me because of my leg, but I run for my life far away from them.

Mutations. No question about it. I've never seen these mutts, but they're no natural-born animals. They resemble huge wolves, but the can balance on their hind legs and there are more disturbing things about them. What wolf waves the rest of the pack forward with its front paw as though it had a wrist? Up close, I'm sure their more menacing attributes will be revealed, but I'm not eager to find it out.

I see that Cato is already climbing on the Cornucopia and Katniss has just arrived towards it when she twists and looks towards me. She seems like running back for me, but I can't let that happen. I'm about fifteen yards away from her and I can tell that those mutts are closing me. She shoots once, but there is so many I think it is pointless. I wave at her and shout.

„Go, Katniss! Go!"

She starts climbing it and I notice, that Cato is already up there, but for now he doesn't seem like a danger. He lies on his side at the very top of the horn, twenty feet above the ground, gasping to catch his breath as he gags over the edge of the Cornucopia. Katniss wants to shoot him. I finally reached the Cornucopia, but the mutts are almost at me. I cry out just in the moment Katniss wanted to shoot Cato.

„Climb" she yells at me and runs towards me. I try as hard as I can with an injured leg and knife in my hand. She shoots another arrow into the mutt just behind me. When I reach her feet, she catches my arm and pulls me up.

„Can they climb it?" Cato yells.

"What?" Katniss shouts at Cato.

"He said, 'Can they climb it?'" I answer.

The mutts are beginning to assemble. As they join together, they raise up again to stand easily on their back legs giving them an eerily human quality. Each has a thick coat, some with fur that is straight and sleek, others curly, and the colors vary from jet black to what I can only describe as blond.

They put their snouts on the horn, sniffing and tasting the metal, scraping paws over the surface and then making high-pitched yipping sounds to one another. This must be how they communicate because the pack backs up as if to make room. Then one of them, a good-size mutt with silky waves of blond fur takes a running start and leaps onto the horn. Its back legs must be incredibly powerful because it lands a mere ten feet below us, its pink lips pulled back in a snarl.

I see how Katniss's eyes are growing bigger and I can't see why. But it can't mean anything good.

"Katniss?" I grip her arm tightly.

"It's her!" she shrieks

"Who?" I'm confused.

"It's them. It's all of them. The others. Rue and Foxface and . . . all of the other tributes," she says with a terrified voice. I gasp when I realize what is she saying and I recognize the resemblance.

"What did they do to them? You don't think . . . those could be their real eyes?" she says with a trembling voice.

The mutts begin a new assault on the horn in a moment. They've split into two groups at the sides of the horn and are using those powerful hindquarters to launch themselves at us. A pair of teeth ring together just inches from us and suddenly I feel a sharp pain in my left calf and I'm yanked to the side. The only thing saving me from falling down between the mutts is Katniss's hand. She jumped to lie on the cornucopia just to catch my hand and now she holds it firmly.

„Kill it, Peeta! Kill it!" I hear her yell and I know she won't be able to hold me for long.

I stab the mutt with my knife as much as I can and after a moment it let's go of me and Katniss pulls me up. For a second, I'm lying on the golden surface, I can see Katniss shooting another mutt. I'm just thinking what to do with my leg, when strong arm pulls me up and I'm locked in Cato's arms, he's pressing his forearm against my neck and I fight for my breath. Katniss looks up only a moment later and her eyes are suddenly filled with panic. She has an arrow loaded in her bow in a second and it is aimed on Cato's head.

Cato just laughs. "Shoot me and he goes down with me."

_ Do it, Katniss! Kill us and save yourself!_ I try to tell her with my eyes, but the only thing I can see in hers is panic. As my blood is going out of my leg and as I'm losing air in my lungs I get a last idea. I pull my arms up towards Cato's and look at Katniss intently. She gets my look and I point at his hand. If she will be able to shoot him in there, I could shake him off me. She doesn't hesitate and in a moment, the arrow flies just inches from my head and pierces his hand precisely. Lucky her aim is so good even under this disturbing circumstances. He cries out and reflexively releases me. I slam back against him and he falls down. For a moment I'm sure I will fall down too. I already feel the falling feeling, but then her arms lock around my waist and she pulls me back up and I fall down next to her.

We hear Cato hit the ground and then the mutts attack him. Katniss and I hold on to each other, waiting for the cannon, waiting for the Games to finish. But it doesn't happen. Not yet. Because this is the climax of the Hunger Games, and the audience expects a show.

We don't watch it, but I can hear the snarls, the growls, the howls of pain from both human and beast as Cato takes on the mutt pack. I can't understand how he can be surviving until I remember the body armor protecting him from ankle to neck and I realize what a long night this could be. Cato must have a knife or sword or something, too, something he had hidden in his clothes, because on occasion there's the death scream of a mutt or the sound of metal on metal as the blade collides with the golden horn. The combat moves around the side of the Cornucopia, and I know Cato must be attempting the one maneuver that could save his life — to make his way back around to the tail of the horn and rejoin us. But in the end, despite his remarkable strength and skill, he is simply overpowered.

I don't know how long it has been, maybe an hour or so, when Cato hits the ground and we hear the mutts dragging him, dragging him back into the Cornucopia. _Now they'll finish him off, _I think. But there's still no cannon. No such luck.

Night falls and the anthem plays and there's no picture of Cato in the sky. The icy air blowing across the plain reminds both of us that the Games are not over and may not be for who knows how long. I'm feeling worse with every moment. I try to stop my bleeding leg somehow, but it is pointless, the injury is too bad. The mutt has torn out a pretty big chunk of my flesh.

Katniss turns to me and starts to inspect the injury. All our supplies remain down by the lake where we abandoned them when we run for our lives. We have no bandage, nothing to staunch the flow of blood from my calf, so I have only a little hope to survive.

But that's not a problem for my stubborn girl. Although it is freezing, she takes off her jacket, than strips out from her shirt and takes the jacket on again. She's shivering, but that won't stop her from trying to save me. She must love me then. It is absurd, that I smile in this moment of terror around us. She lays me down and inspects my leg closely.

„Bandage won't be enough" she says with a trembling voice. „I will have to do a tourniquet." I don't exactly know what does it mean, but I'm not resisting. She cuts a sleeve from her shirt and wraps it twice around my leg just under my knee, and ties a half knot. She uses her last arrow at ties it into the knot. Then she bandages the wound with the rest of her shirt and that's it. How can she proclaim that she's not a healer after her mother? I don't know, but I'm sure she is.

„Don't go to sleep." she says, her voice trembling. I don't know if it's trembling from cold or terror, but I expect both.

"Are you cold?" I ask. I unzip my jacket and she presses her body against mine as I fasten it around her. It's a bit warmer, sharing our body heat inside our double layer of jackets, but the night is young. The temperature will continue to drop I'm sure.

"Cato may win this thing yet," she whispers

"Don't you believe it," I say, pulling up her hood, but I'm shaking too. _It will be you, sweetheart._

The next hours are agonizing for me. I even don't remember how I survived it. The cold and pain in my leg would be torture enough, but the real nightmare is listening to Cato, moaning, begging, and finally just whimpering as the mutts work away at him. After a very short time, I don't care who he is or what he's done, all I want is for his suffering to end.

"Why don't they just kill him?" Katniss asks terrified, almost pleadingly.

"You know why," I say sadly.

No viewer could turn away from the show now. From the Gamemakers' point of view, this is the final word in entertainment. It goes on and on and on and eventually completely consumes my mind. There will never be anything but cold and fear and the agonized sounds of the boy dying in the horn.

I can't help, but I start to feel weak and sleepy. Each time I start dozing off, Katniss shakes with me and yells my name so loudly that it echoes in my head strongly. _Please let me die so you could go home._ I start to think.

The only indication of the passage of time is the subtle shift of the moon. I start to show it to her, every few minutes so we would not think about dying or those mutts under us. It's our only hope now. And finally I can see the light on the horizon.

„The sun is rising." I whisper in my last energy. She looks up and sees it too. But as she lays her eyes on me, she seems scared and worried. Do I look so bad?

"I think he's closer now. Katniss, can you shoot him?" I ask. Please end this agony!

"My last arrow's in your tourniquet," she says and looks hesitantly at me.

"Make it count," I say, unzipping my jacket and letting her go.

So she takes the arrow and ties the tourniquet tightly. I feel tingling in my leg. She crawls to the lip of the horn and hangs over the edge. I'm scared that she will fall over so I grip her legs tightly and hold her.

"Did you get him?" I whisper as the arrow flies through the air. The cannon fires in answer.

"Then we won, Katniss," I say hollowly. I can't believe it.

"Hurray for us," she says, but there's no joy of victory in her voice.

A hole opens in the plain and as if on cue, the remaining mutts bound into it, disappearing as the earth closes above them. We wait, for the hovercraft to take Cato's remains, for the trumpets

of victory that should follow, but nothing happens.

"Hey!" Katniss shouts into air. "What's going on?" The only response is the chatter of waking birds.

"Maybe it's the body. Maybe we have to move away from it," I say. It's the only thing I can think of now, but I have a bad feeling. Will they really let us both go out?

"Okay. Think you could make it to the lake?" she asks

"Think I better try," I say. We inch down to the tail of the horn and fall to the ground. Katniss rises first, swinging and bending her arms and legs until she's warmed up enough to help me up. It is long and painful, but somehow, we make it back to the lake. She scoops up a handful of the cold water for me and brings a second to her lips.

A mockingjay gives the long, low whistle, and a hovercraft appears and takes Cato's body away. Now they will take us. Now we can go home. But again nothing else happens. That bad feeling about the two victors change is getting only worse. I feel terror flooding my body and my chest tightens with fear.

"What are they waiting for?" I say weakly. I feel that I will faint soon. My wound has opened again and is bleeding again.

„I don't know." she says and looks at me worriedly. Katniss is going for some stick for my tourniquet, when Claudius Templesmith's voice booms into the arena.

"Greetings to the final contestants of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games. The earlier revision has been revoked. Closer examination of the rule book has disclosed that only one winner may be allowed," he says. "Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor."

_ I knew it! _I can see how Katniss's eyes gets wider, as she realizes what does it mean. She stares at me in disbelief.

"If you think about it, it's not that surprising," I say, moving towards her and tying away my knife. She must think I want to kill her, because she rises up her bow at me, just in the moment when I throw the knife into the lake. She drops the bow and takes a step back. I can see the terror in her eyes.

„No" I say limping toward her „Do it." I hand her bow back.

„I can't." she says in a trembling voice „I won't" I can see the pain and panic in her eyes.

"Do it. Before they send those mutts back or something. I don't want to die like Cato," I say. If I'm gonna die in here, I want it to be quick.

"Then you shoot me," she shouts furiously, shoving the weapons back at me. I can see tears in her eyes, few of them already streaming down her cheeks.

"You shoot me and go home and live with it!" she yells desperately.

"You know I can't," I say, discarding the weapons. "Fine, I'll go first anyway." I say angrily, lean down and tear the bandages she made and my blood goes out even faster.

"No, you can't kill yourself," she falls to her knees right next to me, plastering the bandages back, with more tears sliding down her face.

"Katniss," I say calmly. "It's what I want."

"You're not leaving me here alone," she yells stubbornly and looks me in the eyes intently. That look is so painful for me. I can see the terror in her eyes, tears streaming down her face and her eyes pleading me to stay with her.

"Listen," I say, pulling her closer to me "We both know they have to have a victor. It can only be one of us. Please, take it. For me. I love you Katniss. You're my life and if you die, my life would be empty. I would have no reason to live it." as I look at her I feel that she's distracted by something. There's something more in her eyes.

She looks at me intently and then start to untangle something from her belt. A leather pouch. The one with nightlock. As I realize it, I catch her hand.

"No, I won't let you." I say angrily, looking into her eyes.

"Trust me," she whispers. I hold her gaze for a long moment. There's something different now. There are no tears any more. Just an intent look, telling me, that she has some plan. And then slowly I release her hand. She gets the pouch, then takes my hand and pours a few spoonfuls of berries into my palm. I look at it shocked as she pours same amount into hers. _Is she really suggesting me a suicide for both of us?_ And then I get it. _Don't let them change me. I want to show them that I'm not just a piece in their games. This is just a perfect idea._ I meet her gaze and a small sad smile appears on her lips.

„On the count of three?" she asks. I just smile back at her and kiss her gently. I love her with all my heart. And now I will die together with her. If we can't go out together, we won't go out at all.

"The count of three," I say softly. We stand, our backs pressed together, our empty hands locked tight.

"Hold them out. I want everyone to see," I say. Let everyone see, that we're not just ordinary victors. Love always wins. I spread out my fingers, and the dark berries glisten in the sun. She squeezes my hand for the last time and I feel shivers going up my back.

„One, two, three." we say together. I lift my hand to my mouth and close my eyes.

The berries have just passed my lips when the trumpets begin to blare. The frantic voice of Claudius Templesmith shouts above them. "Stop! Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victors of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark! I give you — the tributes of District Twelve!"

I spew the berries from my mouth, quickly enough to survive. Did Katniss make it in time too? I pull her to the lake, where we both flush our mouths with water and then collapse into each other's arms.

"You didn't swallow any?" she asks me.

I shake my head. "You?" I ask.

"Guess I'd be dead by now if I did," she says.

Then there's roar of the crowd in the Capitol that they're playing live over the speakers. I can feel how I lose my strength and I know I will faint soon, maybe die if they won't help me.

The hovercraft materializes overhead and two ladders drop, Katniss puts her arm around me, pulls me up and helps me to get to the ladder. The electric current freezes us in place. As the door closes around us, I black out and the last thing I remember is her arms around me and her scream.

„Peeta!"


	8. The Victors

Chapter 8: The victors

When I wake up again, I'm still feeling weak. But immediately I remember, my last memories in the arena and I open my eyes. I'm in some hospital room, few tubes going out of my arm. And next to my bed. There is a man sitting in a chair.

„Welcome back, boy." he says and to my surprise he's beaming at me. For a moment I consider if it is really true. Either they let us both go out or Katniss died.

„Where is Katniss?" I ask and look at him scared, that she might be dead.

„Calm down." he says calmly. „She's alive. They're healing her too. Not that she would be worse than you. By now she almost healed." he says and I relax „But you, you gave us a lot of worries." he says and there's something painful in his eyes.

„What's wrong?" I ask. I just now there's some but.

„Well you're alive, which is unbelievable, after what you've gone through in the arena." he says.

„But...?" I ask and he looks at me sadly.

„You lost your left calf." he says softly and examines my reaction. I'm shocked. I look under the blankets to see, that my leg really ends under my knee, where Katniss tied the tourniquet. There is only some bare stump under it. My first thought is. _How will I walk?_ I look at Haymitch in fear, not able to process this so fast.

„They made you a special prosthetic leg." he says and pulls out some metal-plastic thing designed to look like leg.

„They made it specially for you and it should fit and work perfectly, but we'll see that when you try it." he adds and looks at me closely. After few quiet moments he leans closer to me.

„Will you be okay?" he asks. I finally smile at him.

„I'll be fine. As long as Katniss is alive, I'll be fine." and he smiles back at me.

„Okay. Now you will have three days to get used to it. You are physically healed and you have these three days to learn how to walk with this and to rest." he says. And right in the moment when I open my mouth to ask he adds „And no. You can't see Katniss, your reunion will be on live TV in three days. I'm sorry."

„Okay thanks." I say a little sad, but what are three days for me? Nothing. „Say her my love, when you see her." I say when he's going away.

„I will." he promises and the door close behind him.

Short time after this, a doctor comes and instructs me, how to put the prosthetic leg on and how to walk with it. This Capitol high tech leg is really a miracle. When I attach it to the stomp, it somehow connects with my nerves and I can control it with my thoughts just like a normal leg. Well almost. In the beginning, I don't trust it, I limp and I struggle with it, but in the end of the third day, I'm walking so well, that you would not find out that my leg is missing. They still want me to have a special crane to gain my balance if I'm not sure.

Finally they let me out of this terrible hospital room and just behind the door, Portia awaits for me. I'm happy to see her and she hugs me immediately.

„I'm so happy to see you again Peeta." she exclaims and I see tears in her eyes. I smile at her.

„I'm happy to see you too. I didn't believe I will ever see you again." I admit.

She just smiles at me and leads me to my old room. I wonder where is Katniss now. My prep team is eager to see me. They all hug me and they can't stop talking about everything we did in the Games. They transform me into absolutely new person and Portia brings me my clothes. It is simple black pants and black shoes and shirt made of some special yellow material which kind of glows.

„You'll be matching with Katniss tonight" she beams at me. I just give her a smile back.

„I can't believe she likes me." I admit.

„How could she not like you after everything you've done for her." she smiles and I'm ready to go to the stage.

They stand me on a metal plate similar to the one which was in the hunger games and I have to wait until the show starts. I see a makeshift wall about ten yards away and assume Katniss will be behind it. I hear the crowd of people waiting for us. I'm sure they are eager to see us coming back.

I can't wait to see Katniss. To see that she is all right and healed. To hug her and kiss her and be with her for the rest of our lives. The anthem starts playing and then Caesar welcomes the audience. He introduces the prep teams, Cinna, Portia, Effie and Haymitch and the audience rewards them with huge applause. After Haymitch, I feel that the plate lifts me up, just the way it did in the beginning of the games.

There are blinding lights and huge applause and cheering from the audience. Those are the only things which I realize before I see Katniss. She's standing just a few yards away from me, looking amazing in a yellow dress. Looking like an innocent vulnerable girl not like a lethal opponent in the arena. I give her wide smile and start walking towards her. I would run, but I don't dare to do that with my new leg. She obviously can't stand separation anymore, because she runs towards me and flings herself into my arms so hard that I almost fall. Thank God they gave me this cane. We hug and kiss and the audience is going crazy about us. Well to be honest I'm not doing that because of them, but who cares. Caesar is trying to stop us after some time, but he is unsuccessful. But then Haymitch comes, he almost brakes us apart himself and shoves us toward the couch which is prepared for us. We sit down, Katniss takes her sandals off, tucks her feet on the side and she leans her head against my shoulder. I put my arm around her, afraid that someone will take her away from me.

Caesar Flickerman makes a few more jokes, and then it's time for the show. This will last exactly three hours and is required viewing for all of Panem. As the lights dim and the seal appears on the screen, I realize I don't want to see this. I do not want to watch my twenty-two fellow tributes die. But I guess we don't have any other option. When the screen lights up, Katniss takes my hand into both of hers and grips it tightly. I can feel how she trembles a little and I tighten my hug. _Don't worry, I'm right here with you._

Condensing several weeks into three hours is quite a hard task. Whoever puts together the highlights has to choose what sort of story to tell. This year, they tell a love story. The first half hour or so focuses on the pre-arena events, the reaping, the chariot ride through the Capitol, our training scores, and our interviews.

Once we're in the arena, there's detailed coverage of the bloodbath and then the filmmakers basically alternate between shots of tributes dying and shots of us. I see how Katniss struggled to find water and almost died, while I was hunting tributes with the careers. I'm shocked when I find out, she saw me in the career pack before we met her... That night, when I first killed a human, that poor girl, she was in that clump of willows. I especially remember how I thought that she would consider it a good hiding place. If only I knew she was looking at me through those branches and leaves. How close she was to being discovered when she heard me speak up. Lucky she was belted to the branch.

Late we I how she got burned during the forest fire. I see her trapped on a tree, how she meets Rue and how she makes her plans about tracker-jackers. I can see how she teamed up with Rue and how they blew up the Career's food and finally how Rue died. They play her death in full. The spearing, Katniss's failed rescue attempt, her arrow through Marvel's throat, Rue drawing her last breath in her arms. And her singing the song for Rue. It is beautiful and heartbreaking in the same moment. Her voice is beautiful as always, but it is breaking and creaking when she sobs and tears are going down her face. When they take out Rue's body, we could all see how Katniss decorated her with wild flowers. That is amazing idea. I have never seen anyone doing something like that in the arena.

I feel how she trembles in my arms now and I run my hand over her shoulder to comfort her. She showed them, she's different. Not just a piece in their games. When they announce the rule change, she's sitting on a tree and she calls out my name immediately. It's kind of sweet and I smile over it. Then there are moments from cave and then the feast. I hold my breath as I see Katniss drugging me to sleep. Then she gives me a goodbye kiss in the morning and goes to the feast. My heart is racing, when I see her fighting with Clove. Fighting for her life with bare hands. She already had her knife on Katniss's face, when Thresh came to save her. I'm so grateful he did this. Then Katniss struggles through the forest, trying to hold her blood in and trying to be in our cave as soon as possible. When she finally arrives, she shots the medicine into my arm and right after that she looses her consciousness. Then there are moments of Cato and Thresh fighting. He fought really well I must admit. There are also some shots of us healing during their fight. Than we're going hunting, Foxface dies and the other day, we head towards the lake. We're confronted with Cato and mutts and the torturing memories come back to me. Running from the mutts, Katniss catching my hand and holding me when that mutt bite my calf, Cato getting me, than Katniss shooting the arrow through his hand and then he falls down in the middle of the mutts. It seems really horrible, Cato's death is long and painful and I really feel sorry for him. Even such a bloodthirsty career didn't deserve that.

And then comes the moment with the berries. I can hear the audience hushing one another, not wanting to miss anything. We are like tragic couple from old stories, who committed a suicide, because their families banned their marriage. We stand there hand in hand, berries in our mouths when they stop us. It's really amazing that we both survived it. Then I'm surprised that they doesn't stop when they call us winners. There is shot of Katniss holding me up, while a hovercraft lifts us from the arena. Then I faint, they take me to the surgery and than there is one last shot of Katniss, madly pounding on a glass which is between us. I'm laying on the surgery table and she's going mad, calling my name. She must really be in love with me then.

The anthem's playing yet again and we rise as President Snow himself takes the stage followed by a little girl carrying a cushion that holds the crown. There's just one crown, though, and you can hear the crowd's confusion — whose head will he place it on? — until President Snow gives it a twist and it separates into two halves. He places the first around my brow with a smile. He's still smiling when he settles the second on Katniss's head. But for some reason she seems scared.

We are whisked to the president's mansion for the Victory Banquet, where we have very little time to eat as Capitol officials and particularly generous sponsors elbow one another out of the way as they try to get their picture with us. Face after beaming face flashes by, becoming increasingly intoxicated as the evening wears on. We keep laughing and smiling, but I'm so tired. And Katniss still seems strangely scared. I have to talk to her about it when we're back home. The sun is just peeking over the horizon when we straggle back to the twelfth floor of the Training Center. I want to talk to Katniss but Haymitch sends me off with Portia and doesn't give me a chance to talk to her.

So I get some sleep until I'm woken up by Effie knocking on my door and calling her usual „It's a big, big, big day." I don't remember a day which would not be a big, big, big one. Portia brings me a white suit and a soft red shirt. When everything is done and they assume I look good enough, we go to the sitting room, where the interview will be shot. Katniss is already there, looking nervous, her hands shaking slightly. I sit next to her and put my arm around her.

"I hardly get to see you. Haymitch seems bent on keeping us apart." I say. I'm a little angry about this. I wanted to tell her about my leg, because I didn't want to reveal it to her on live TV. I guess this is where it is leading.

"Yes, he's gotten very responsible lately." she says tiredly.

"Well, there's just this and we go home. Then he can't watch us all the time," I smile at her. But for some reason her smiling back seems just weak and not truthful. What is wrong with her?

"Oh, go ahead and curl up next to him if you want. It looked very sweet." Caesar says to Katniss and so she does.

We start the interview without a problem. I like talking with Caesar, we have a similar sense of humor, so it's like speaking to a friend. On the other hand Katniss speaks as little as possible.

"Well, Peeta, we know, from our days in the cave, that it was love at first sight for you from what, age five?" Caesar says.

"From the moment I laid eyes on her," says Peeta.

"But, Katniss, what a ride for you. I think the real excitement for the audience was watching you fall for him. When did you realize you were in love with him?" asks Caesar.

"Oh, that's a hard one . . ." she laughs a little.

"Well, I know when it hit me. The night when you shouted out his name from that tree," says Caesar.

"Yes, I guess that was it. I mean, until that point, I just tried not to think about what my feelings might be, honestly, because it was so confusing and it only made things worse if I actually cared about him. But then, in the tree, everything changed," she says.

"Why do you think that was?" urges Caesar.

"Maybe . . . because for the first time . . . there was a chance I could keep him," she smiles slightly. That's so nice. Hearing that she really likes me.

I smile and lean my forehead against her temple. "So now that you've got me, what are you going to do with me?" I ask.

She turns in to me. "Put you somewhere you can't get hurt." And then I kiss her and people in the room sigh.

Then Caesar asks about different injuries we got. Our burns, stings from tracker-jackers or cuts. We talk about it and I'm feeling that my leg will be talked about soon. I'm afraid about Katniss's reaction.

„So Peeta" he says after long talk about mutts „How is your new leg working out?" just when I take a deep breath to talk I feel how Katniss shivers.

„New leg?" she says and pulls up a the bottom of my pants to see my prosthetic leg. I can see the look of pain and horror in her eyes.

"No one told you?" asks Caesar gently. She shakes her head.

"I haven't had the chance," I say with a slight shrug. I'm really sorry for that.

"It's my fault," she says pleadingly "Because I used that tourniquet." she seems like she will start crying soon.

"Yes, it's your fault I'm alive," I say calmly and stroke her hair.

"He's right," says Caesar. "He'd have bled to death for sure without it."

Well she doesn't care what we say, she still seems upset and then she just buries her face in my chest and refuses to go out. It takes some time to persuade her but finally she does. Luckily Caesar leaves her alone until the very end.

"Katniss, I know you've had a shock, but I've got to ask. The moment when you pulled out those berries. What was going on in your mind . . . hm?" he says. Oh I would also like to know the answer. I hope for love.

"I don't know, I just . . . couldn't bear the thought of . . . being without him." she says and my heart warms up.

"Peeta? Anything to add?" asks Caesar.

"No. I think that goes for both of us," I say and smile. And that is the end. Finally we go home!

We go back to our rooms, we take our few belongings and finally go out of the training center. We are escorted to the train station by cars, there we briefly say goodbye to Cinna and Portia and we finally board the train. I still can't believe we did this and that we're going home. And it's even harder to believe that Katniss loves me.

In the train we eat dinner and watch the interview in TV. Katniss goes to change and I do the same. I don't feel well in this clothes.

When the train stops for fuel, we're allowed to go out for a while and we gladly do. We go down by the train, hand in hand and I'm so happy. If you would show me this moment on the reaping day and tell me this is my future, I would tell you, that you're crazy. I stop to pick up some little flowers. I present them to Katniss and smile widely at her. She's smiling back, but very sadly. She's like this all the time since the end of games. What has happened?

„What's wrong?" I ask softly.

„Nothing" she says and we continue in our walk. Then Haymitch makes us jump.

"Great job, you two. Just keep it up in the district until the cameras are gone. We should be okay." he turns around and Katniss is looking in his direction. What is he talking about? What should we keep up? I look at her, but I can see that she's scared to look at me. Why? Now I'm afraid. There must be some BUT somewhere. Something they're not telling me.

"What's he mean?" I ask.

"It's the Capitol. They didn't like our stunt with the berries," she blurts out still avoiding my eyes.

"What? What are you talking about?" I'm surprised. Why didn't they told me such a thing?

"It seemed too rebellious. So, Haymitch has been coaching me through the last few days. So I didn't make it worse," she says and a terrible feeling is coming to me. What was Haymitch coaching? Her words and love?!

"Coaching you? But not me," I say, dreading her answer.

"He knew you were smart enough to get it right," she says and finally looks at me with a terrified look.

"I didn't know there was anything to get right," I say starting to be angry. "So, what you're saying is, these last few days and then I guess... back in the arena... that was just some strategy you two worked out?" I'm terrified of her answer. Is it possible that she was acting all her love because of the games? Is she able to do something like that?

"N-no. I mean, I couldn't even talk to him in the arena, c-could I?" She stammers.

"But you knew what he wanted you to do, didn't you?" I say. I see how she bites her lip which means that I revealed the truth. No, this can't be truth. My lovely Katniss is not mine any more. She never was. "Katniss?" I drop her hand and she takes a step, as if to catch her balance, her hands shaking.

"It was all for the Games," I say finally. Accusing her. I hate this! "How you acted."

"Not all of it," she says, holding tightly to the flowers I gave her. I can see the dread in her eyes and I almost think they are getting wet too.

"Then how much? No, forget that. I guess the real question is what's going to be left when we get home?" I ask angrily.

"I don't know. The closer we get to District Twelve, the more confused I get," she says. I wait for a moment if she will say something more, but there's only a painful silence.

"Well, let me know when you work it out," I say and I can't hide the pain in my voice.

I can really feel pain in my heart. Is it possible to feel your heart break? I don't know but I feel it. And it's the worst pain I have ever felt. And that means something if you consider, what I've been through in the arena and that I lost my leg. It takes my biggest effort to compose myself until I'm in my bedroom. There I let my tears stream down my cheeks. How can she be so cruel? How is it possible that she's loving me in the arena and when we come out, she doesn't love me any more? I know the answer. It's him. It's Gale.

I don't go out of my room until we're arriving to District 12. I know that for one more time we will have to be a happy couple. I compose myself and try to hide my sadness into expressionless mask. When I go towards the train door, she's already waiting there. I can see the uneasiness on her face. The pain and fear. But today I don't care about it. It's all her fault. I was not the one who faked our love.

We just stand there silently, watching our grimy little station rise up around us. Through the window, I can see the platform's full of cameras. Everyone will be eagerly watching our homecoming. And that's the reason why I compose myself up and try to smile. Because I don't want to get into trouble if everyone get to know Katniss's secret. Maybe they would kill us. I extend my hand towards her and she looks at me unsure.

"One more time? For the audience?" I ask coldly.  
And for the last time she takes it. To my surprise she holds it tightly, like if she's afraid to let it go. I feel how her hand trembles in mine as the train stops and the door open. By the train we briefly greet with our family members. My dad and Ray came, while mother and Ban are in the bakery. They both hug me and congratulate me happily. Of course Katniss's mum and Prim came too. As soon as we're out of the train, Prim flings herself into Katniss's arms and for the first time I see Katniss smile with a real smile. To my surprise, when Prim let's go of Katniss, she hugs me tightly too.

"Thanks for getting her home." she says into my ear and I can't help than smile too.

I get a hug from Katniss's mum too, while Katniss gets hugs from my dad and Ray. From the station we're transported to Victor's Village, where we get our new houses. Katniss's house is next to Haymitch's and mine is next to his from the other side. We try to look as happy as we can.

When the cameras are away and Haymitch goes to his own house, we're alone and silent again. She still holds my hand tightly. I look at our hands entwined for the last time in my life. And then at Katniss. She looks terrible. Like she's going to crush down soon. She's trembling and she's pale. I let go of her hand softly and look her in the eyes. Something in there is telling me, that she's not absolutely indifferent. I know that deep in my heart I want to keep my hand in hers. But I'm still too angry to forgive her. The pain in my heart is too real and too fresh.

„Nice acting." I say more coldly then I wanted to. She looks at me with pain in her eyes. Her hands start to shake again.

„Most of the people will believe that we'll live happily ever after." I say and her lower lip starts to quiver.

I can't bare to look at her any more, because right now I can see tears welling in there and I don't want to see her cry now because of me. I leave her in her new big house. Heading to mine quietly and locking up in my bedroom. I will need time to get used to this. I will need a lot of time to forget her sweet lips and her warm hugs. I guess I won't be able to forget that. I fall into my bed and let my own tears fall down and my own sobs go out of my lips. This is how the star-crossed lovers end up. Locked in their houses and crying. I should have died in the end of the games. With her love still truthful. I should have died, not knowing that her love was fake.


End file.
